councilman harry thomas, jr. is awaiting his fate. >> a federal judge will hand down his sentence for his part in a corruption scandal. developments are happening now. >> good afternoon. harry thomas, jr. is on the stand right now, as we are out here. he is pleading with the judge to give him a lighter sentence. he walked into court early this morning with his attorneys dressed in a gray suit, very stoic, and a straight face. the prosecutor told the judge that the court has the opportunity to send a clear message that when you steal from those used or to serve, you will pay a high price. they are asking for 46 months in jail, three months of probation, and paying back restitution. defense attorneys are asking for a lesser sentence. it would like him to the 18 months in jail, 16 months of home detention, and 15 hours of community service. they called three witnesses to the stand this morning to talk to the judge about harry thomas, jr., the man, not the councilman. his nephew also took the stand. finally, we also h

harry thomas jr. will learn his sentence are taking money that was supposed to go to youth sports programs. we were live at u.s. district court this morning with the details. >> good morning. prosecutors want harry thomas jr. to go away to prison for four years. his defense attorney would like him to only go to prison for 18 months. they say some of the claims made by prosecutors were unjustified. later this morning, harry thomas jr. will listen as the judge tells him how long he is going to prison. earlier this year, thomas admitted to embezzling more than two of depicted thousand dollars in government money that was supposed to go to youth sports. prosecutors have also asked the judge that thomas be on parole for three years after his release. they also recommend he be forced to pay more than $350,000 in restitution. he resigned in january after the charges were filed. harry thomas jr.'s lawyers say they want him to face a lighter sentence because of what they say are "positive is." we will have more

harry thomas jr.'s lawyers want something less. later this morning harry thomas jr. will be in federal court and listened as the judge tells him how long he was going to prison. earlier this year, he admitted to embezzling more than $350,000 in government money that was supposed to go to u.s. exports. in addition to four years behind bars prosecutors have asked that he be on parole for three years after he is released. they also recommend he be forced to pay more than $350,000 in restitution. he had been on the d.c. council since 2006 and resigned in january after the charges were filed. harry thomas jr.'s lawyers wrote a letter to the judge on tuesday and we will let you know what is in that letter coming up in 30 minutes. >> thanks so much. also today, a prince william county woman will learn her sentence for barricading her three daughters in a room with dry wall. she pleaded guilty to child abuse charges. she was supposed to be sentenced in january but it was delayed while she sought treatment for

councilmember harry thomas jr. knows how long he'll be in jail for stealing $350,000 in government funds. bruce johnson joins us live by phone outside district court. what's the latest. >> reporter: harry thomas jr, former ward five councilmember has been sentenced to 38 months in the federal prison. the judge could have given him as much adds 51 months. the prosecution asked for 46 months. the judge did give harry thomas jr. credit for community service before and after serving on the council. he gave him credit for admitting and entering the plea bargain. but the judge says there was a major big deal. the councilmember has betrayed his colleagues on the council. he has betrayed the citizens of the district of columbia. the youth he claimed to serve. it's unclear because they're still in the courtroom and i'm on the outside, if harry thomas will be allowed to walk out of here and report to a federal prison at some time. i suspect that will happen. he addressed the court and told the judge that he was sorry. he had

the ward has been deeply divided since the harry thomas, jr. corruption scandal exploded. the thomas family carries a major influence in this area. his late father served as a long-time -- long time council member. while there are still many loyals, there are a lot of folks taking this as an opportunity for change, including 28-year-old delano hunter who ran against thomas in 2010. if elected he would be the youngest official in office. while kathy henderson has a long record as a commissioner. both say time for transparency in government is now. >> i could be an independent voice. i know who to answer to. that's the residents of the ward. i never served at pleasure of the council or the mayor so that gives me a level of independence that i think is above of the other competitors. >> we're seeing machine politics at its worst. citizens need someone that can go down to the wilson building that they can depend on, that they can trust that has a proven record of accomplishment. >> reporter: whoever is elected will serve the rest of harry thomas' jr.'s sterm -- thomas jr.'s ter

many believe that harry thomas, jr.'s political career is over. >> that is the end for harry thomas, jr. the mayor is right. he does have a wonderful mother who is widely respected and his father was a city councilman. she is beloved. but harry thomas, jr.'s political career is over. there is no marion barry-like phoenix return. he is done. >> reporter: now, yesterday, thomas' attorneys pressed for a lighter sentence. they are accusing federal prosecutors of stretching the facts and ignoring the ex- councilman's contributions for the community. he could have received a 13- year sentence in all for the crimes he pleaded guilty to. but they agreed to knock that down to a maximum of four years for him to plead guilty on. we will find out what the judge decides when that hearing begins here in federal court at 9:30 this morning. >>> we we'll be watching. thank you. >>> also making headlines this morning, one of the parents convicted of child abuse in bristow, virginia will be sentenced today. christina moore admitted to nail

harris thomas jr.'s father is, of course, harry thomas sr., also a former ward county council member. >> yeah, you know, it was actually my question from the last time that he brought it up from court today and he finally answered it, responding to my question. he said that he wanted to fess up to admit the mistake and take responsibility again. >> that's what they did in court today. thank you, bruce. back to you. >>> he picked up a key endorsement today. this time from one of his former rivals. the minnesota congresswoman, michele bachmann, she made the announcement in virginia where she joined governor bob mcdonald in campaigning with romney. and now bachmann was a long- time favorite of the tea party, but dropped out after finishing sixth in the iowa caucuses. now she is calling on republicans to get behind romney and to help defeat president obama. >> i am honored to be able to be here to introduce not only governors bob mcdonald, but the fabulous governor for the state of virginia and also to lend

some say, harry thomas' jr.'s fall should serve as a warning for others who are looking to take his spot. >> we can't practice the right thing and do the wrong thing. >>> on the national front, voters are heading to the polls for primaries in oregon and nebraska today. but with ron paul effectively quitting the race last night, mitt romney no longer has any challenges for the republican nomination. meantime, the ad wars have begun with new political attacks from both the obama and romney campaigns. the latest cbs news "new york times" poll shows that romney has a slight lead over the president right now. 46% say they would vote for romney and 43% say they would choose president obama. the survey was conducted between may 11th and the 13th. >>> day two of maryland's special legislative session starts at 10:00 this morning and lawmakers are trying to avoid $500 million in budget cuts because they failed to pass a budget in the regular session. today, the senate is voting on governor o'malley's package that raises t

council member harry thomas jr. he stepped down after pleading guilty to embezzling more than $350,000 of taxpayer money meant for children. 12 candidates are running to fill the ward 5 council seat which represents part of northeast d.c. that border the maryland state line. so far election officials say nearly 2,000 people have already voted in this special election with early voting and absentee ballots. >>> new from overnight, virginia lawmaker blocked a richmond prosecutor from becoming the state's first openly gay judge. in a late night vote, the house of delegates only gave tracy thorn-begland 30 votes for judgeship, 51 are needed. thorn-begland was one of two candidates among several nominees not approved. >>> colorado lawmakers rejected a last-ditch effort to give gay couples rights similar to married couples. republicans voted against civil unions legislation. it would have let partners make medical decisions for each other and enhance their parental and inheritance rights. a republican-controlled house com

harry thomas, jr. facing anywhere from 18 months to three and a half years behind bars for pleading guilty to two felony counts of theft. after months of denying the allegations, the disgraced former council member admitted to stealing more than $350,000 meant for kids. he used the money to pay for vacations and high priced vehicles which were seized during an f.b.i. raid of his home. court documents detailed just how he hatched this plot days after election. he set up two end if is, including his youth baseball league. when they got city money, he got kickbacks. hirs first kickback? -- his first kickback? $25,000. it came just months after he took office in 2007. but a possible council investigation to look into how he got this money in the first place and why it never made it to the kids, that council investigation was blocked. we'll tell you why coming up at 6:30. back to you. >> delia goncalves reporting live in northwest washington this morning. >>> 6:15 now. >> this man admits he set a fire in a

council member harry thomas, jr. will be sentenced today for embezzling more than $300,000 meant for d.c. youth programs. he resigned after being convicted in january. thomas' lawyers have asked the judge to consider his time spent in public service and believe a year and a half in prison would be fair. >> rather than facing a four- year term on the d.c. council, he will face the prospect of serving three to four years in prison. >> he has a wonderful wife, mom, wonderful family. i extend my heart to them in hopes they will be able to get through this. >> the sentencing hearing will start at 9:30 in federal court this morning. we will be life outside the courthouse all morning long. coming up in 25 minutes, mark blot kip weighs in on whether thomas will go directly to jail after being sentenced. >>> your help is needed to find a 12-year-old girl from fairfax county who has been missing for almost a week now. we'll put her picture up here on the screen. there she is. this is ashley may o'brien. she left her home on oak

it was tim day who first raised questions about fund raising for harry thomas, jr.'seball league team thomas. we now know it took some time but thomas eventually admitted to stealing more than $350,000 from taxpayers. the tax accountant ran against thomas in 2010. he's honing his label as whistle blower will urge residents to vote him in office. >> we have to let them know i'm not doing this because i need a job. i'm doing this because the people of ward five and all of the district of columbia need a strong voice and advocate for them. >> reporter: although analysts are predicting a low voter turnout so far we're told by the d.c. board of elections and ethics more than 2200 people have cast their ballots in early and absentee voting. polls around the ward open at 7:00 a.m., just a half-hour away. they close tonight at 8:00. andrea, mike, back to you. >> thank you, delia. >>> right now at wusa9.com learn more about all the candidates in today's election. we posted a voter guide. when the polls close tonight at 8:00, we'll post election results right on the front page

harry thomas, jr. admitted to stealing money meant for his youth baseball league to pay for lavish vacations and high priced vehicles. records show he started taking city money just days after he was elected to office. but his supporters have written the judge asking for leniency, asking the judge to consider his years of public service. thomas comes from a long line of activists in ward 5. his father was a long-time former council member for the ward and his mother a school administrator. the mayor was asked earlier this week about whether or not he has spoken to harry thomas, jr. he hasn't spoken to him in the recent past he says. he has spoken to thomas' mother. he says on the record thomas comes from a good family and he doesn't know what went wrong. he says his heart goes out to the family. however, it is this kind of corruption that is fueling the race to fill his vacant council seat. coming up at 5:30, we'll have more on the special election coming up in just a matter of a couple of weeks. back

now as of tonight, harry thomas jr. is still a free man and he will probably be that way for some weeks. he'll be notified by the bureau of prisons when and where to report and that will probably be to a minimum security facility. and to hear more about his sentencing -- and here to hear more about his sentencing, he could have gotten more months, but he got 48. >> yes, that's pretty stiff. i think that the judge tried to balance his good deeds as a part of his job, but also his really good deeds with kids in thecommunity coming from an iconic family from ward 5. >> we heard from the u.s. attorney who basically wanted to send a message that he thought that the judge sent a message too, throwing the book at him? >> i hate to agree with the u.s. attorney's office, but i think so. i think the judge was sending a message that if you're a public official, if you steal or do wrong, you'll spend time in jail. and three years is a pretty significant time. maybe the first time a public elected official locally has gone to jail p

harry thomas jr. will be sentenced for embezzlement. "news 4" megan mcgrath is outside the courthouse with more on the today's hearing. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. harry thomas jr. is going to jail for em bezment and later he'll learn how long he'll spend behind bars. back in january he resigned from his council seat and pleaded guilty to stealing more than $350,000 in city money. the plea came after a lengthy fbi investigation and raid on thomas's home. a motorcycle, suv and other items were confiscated by investigators during that raid. prosecutors say thomas took hundreds of thousands of dollars ear marked for youth sports programs and used that money to fund his lavish lifestyle. the money was used on cars, expensive trips, restaurants, clothes. prosecutors are asking for a prison sentence of 46 months. that's a little less than four years. thomas's attorney is asking for an 18-month prison sentence. sentence is going to happen around 9:30 this morning. reporting from the courthouse,

that's the very same seat say catted by harry thomas -- vacated by harry thomas jr.. thomas was sentenced to 38 months for stealing more than $350,000 from youth sports programs then falsifying his tax returns. he was forced to resign from his ward five council seat as part of the plea bargain with prosecutors. on tuesday the polls in ward five will be open from 7:00 in the morning until 8:00 in the evening. the winner will serve out the remainder of harry thomas jr.'s term which runs through 2014. >>> just ahead, well, some showers threaten mother's day? how dare they? anny has the update when we come back. today is gonna be an important day for us. you ready? we wanna be our brother's keeper. what's number two we wanna do? bring it up to 90 decatherms. how bout ya, joe? let's go ahead and bring it online. attention on site, attention on site. now starting unit nine. some of the world's cleanest gas turbines are now powering some of america's biggest cities. siemens. answers. on my feet and exactly where i needed more support. then, i got my number. my tired, achy fee

. >> harry thomas jr.entence for stealing more than $350,000 of funds meant for sports programs. employers are asking for -- lawyers are asking for 18 months. >> the rangers took the lead in a playoff series. and lasted more than four hours. the new york rangers scored the winning goal in the third overtime. >> a former national archives employee who admitted to stealing hundreds of historic recordings will be sentenced today. they pleaded guilty to the united states property. he faces 18 months in jail. they still nearly a thousand recordings from as far back as the 1920's. he plans to sell them on ebay. a bouncer is under arrest after allegedly assaulting and critically injuring a customer. he was kicked out of r.j. bentley's for throwing a drink on a woman. when he tried to return, the bouncer choked and part touched him. he is charged with assault and reckless endangerment. >> drivers are urged to be careful as they're looking for the man accused of impersonating a police officer. he is already targett

this is a special election to fill the seat of harry thomas jr. the first council member forced out of office, the first council member headed to prison. >> people haven't gotten over it. they are here to pick the best candidate. >> special election is costing $318,000. add to that $353,000 that thomas stole from youth programs and another $100,000 that he steered to an improper inaugural ball. federal and local taxes he failed to pay, we're talking a total of more than $800,000. >> you look at the cost, probably around a million dollars, but it's deeper than that. ward 5 hasn't been paid up for five months. and we don't have an active voice. >> reporter: that $800,000 could have given senior citizens $1,000 each to pay utility bills. 400 families could have gotten $2,000 each to help with college expenses. first time home buyers could have gotten $4,000 each for down payments. >> mr. thomas had larceny in his heart before he was even sworn in. >> reporter: as for the former council member, he is at home waiting as to where he'll be serving that 3

. >>> just two weeks after harry thomas, jr. was sentenced to more than three years in jail, the election to replace him on the city council is under way. delia goncalves has a look at the top candidates and early voting in ward five. >> reporter: despite the rain, residents are heading out to the polls casting their ballots for change in ward five. >> we're going to have a new day in ward five starting tomorrow. >> reporter: ken mcduffy is one of the front runners in a crowd feel of 11 candidates. he says he feels good about his prospects despite critics who say his work in the mayor's office may have tainted his reputation. >> i answer to the residents of the ward. i never served at the pleasure of the council or the mayor. >> we need someone who can go down to the wilson building that they can depend on, they can trust and has a proven record of accomplishment. >> reporter: but it was tim day, the lone republican in the race who first blew the witting about disgraced council member harry thomas jr.'s finances. >> i have conti

>> reporter: harry thomas jr. had nothing to say to reporters. earlier, he told the judge he humiliated his family and community and said what i did was wrong, your honor, and i broke the law. >> and the citizens deserve leaders who are ethical. >> reporter: the u.s. attorney whose office prosecuted the case, spoke to us not long after thomas was sentenced. >> and i think justice was served. if you engage in public corruption, there will be consequences and you will forfit your ill-gotten gapes but your freedom as l. >> reporter: when asked about other investigations underway and to the mayor vincent gray and council chairman brown, meachum was limited in what he could say. >> and we kate talk about that and understand there is a sense of urgency and we have to do a thorough and comprehensive inquiry. that takes time. >> do you have to be careful when it involves the mayor? >> we're careful each and every day. you have to be careful when you talk about somebody like the mayor or the chief of the council. >> reporter: back to harry thomas. the att

he is expected to sit in the same spot as harry thomas, jr.sat, but he won't have the same office. his office space was considered a better office space. and mcduffy will be moving into vincent's spot. >>> and the well nope message, no taxation without representation to be added to the d.c. flag. the proposal would allow the modified flag to be flown on flag day. flying the flag on flag day is great but flying that flag and adopting it officially every day is what we really need to do because it is a way of getting that message out into the consciousness of the country. >> the district does not currently possess any of these flags no taxation without representation inscription and i would point out that the design and purchase of flags to fly at the 415 government installations which currently fly d.c. flags would cost us close to $50,000. >> the d.c. flag has had its current looks since it was officially adopted nearly 75 years ago. >>> a six-year-old northern virginia girl made history today. she took the stage as the youngest contestant aft

>> are you talking about harry thomas jr.? >> yeah. >> that's the end of harry thomas, jr. the mayor is right. a wonderful mother. widely respected and his father was a city council member. she was a principal. she is beloved. but harry thomas, jr.,'s political career is over. there's no marion barry like phoenix return. he is done. >> all right. fox 5 political analyst, thanks for coming in. >> thank you. >>> fox 5 is monitoring metro tonight in the stalemate that is threatening phase two of the silver line to dulles. the showdown is over union labor and its role in a warding of the phase two construction contract. bob is here now with today's developments. bob. >> the obama administration's senior transportation official used the power of his office and nearly a billion dollars in federal moneys to call a high level meeting of the key silver line players to get the project back on track. >> this project will move forward. >> a cautiously upbeat u.s. transportation secretary, ray lahood after hosting the meeting at dot headquarters in southeast. >> the metro system is ameri

he will replace disgraced former councilman harry thomas, jr. who was on his way to prison for theft. with more than 44% of the vote this appears to be a decisive victory. there were 12 names on the ballot and he trumped them all with his closest competition delano hunter garnering 20% of the vote. ward 5 has been desperate for leadership since tom top stepped down in scandal -- harry thomas, jr. stepped down in scandal back in january. mcduffie is a lawyer. he worked most recently for deputy mayor for public safety. he was thrilled at his victory tonight but modest. >> i feel good. it feels like the work is only about to begin. >> reporter: did you expect it? >> i didn't. i felt confident ward 5 voters wanted a new day and wanted somebody who would stand firm on integrity and i felt confident that we had a campaign that was going to work harder than any other in the race. >> the board of elections still has to count provisional and absentee votes to certify the election. >>> district council didn't need to raise taxes in the new city budget. pa

keptian mcduffie easily won the special election to replace disgraced harry thomas, jr. who is now headed to police phone stealing city funds. mcduffie received nearly 45% of the vote, more than twice the number of his closest competitor. he is an attorney . he was modest in victory. >> it feels good. it feels like the work is only about to begin. >> did you expect it? >> i didn't. i felt confident that ward 5 voter wanted a new day. i felt confident that they wanted someone who would stand firm on integrity. >> mcduffie will be sworn in after the results are certified may 30th. this morning, he will join us in the studio during our #:00 hour to talk about the election and what is ahead. >>> in the district, the city council approved expanded sales of alcohol in balancing a $9.4 billion budget. the mayor thanks the council for not include taxes and fees. doe was facing a $170 million budget gap. chairman kwame brown says the extended alcohol sales will allow bars to stay open longer. >>> maryland lawmakers are one step closer to approving a budget bill. house of delegate

council member harry thomas, jr. will find out his punishment today for embezzling more than $300,000. the money was meant for d.c. youth programs. prosecutors asked the jump for up to four years in prison. lawyers for thomas believe a year and a half would be fair. sentencing hearing will begin at 9:30 in federal court. >>> montgomery county police are on the hunt for a man they believe is pretending to be a police officer. a woman said she was robbed on avondale road in silver spring yesterday morning by a man carrying a bag. the car he was driving did not have lights or a siren. he was honking and drove beside >>> hillary clinton and tim geithner have opened annual talks with china but the meeting is overshadowed by the case of the blind activist who now says he wants asylum in the united states. they are trying to talk to him about his change of heart. he hid in the american embassy after escaping from house arrest last week. >>> michelle bachmann is reportedly endorsing mitt romney. >> newt gingrich is step ago

mcduffie beat out 11 other candidates in the race to replace former councilmember harry thomas, jr. he received more than twice the number of votes than his closest competitor. the 36-year-old attorney is promising to be an independent and honest broker for ward 5 residents. here is more. >> i feel confident that ward 5 voters wanted awed new day. i feel confident that they wanted somebody to stand firm on integrity. and i feel confident that we had a campaign that was going to work harder than any other campaign in the race. >> mcduffie will be sworn in after results are certified may 30th. he will join us this morning in studio during our #:00 hour. i will speak with him about the election results and what is ahead on his watch in ward 5. >>> and the district council did not need to raise taxes in the new city budget. parking fees, more speed cameras and more red light cameras will help support the nearly $10 billion plan that will include funding for uninsured immigrant health care and for affordable housing programs. >>> d.c. police are going door to door today handing out flyer

harry thomas jr. rushed past reporters into federal court to be sentenced for his theft of more than $350,000 in city funds and filing false income taxes for three years. prosecutors had sought a 46-month term. thomas had asked for 18 months. the judge said 38 months. >> i think today's sentence sent an important message that public corruption will not be tolerated in our city. harry thomas will now serve more than three years in prison. >> reporter: but first thomas's mother, a prominent political figure in her own right told judge john bates i humbly and passionately plead for mercy for my son. thomas himself said what is wrong? i broke the law. i humiliated my family. i humiliated my mother. he said i took this money because it was a sense of entitlement. my needs ahead of everyone. thomas pleaded guilty in january to two felony counts after several years of siphoning city money intended for youth programs he championed. he also resigned the council seat his father once held before him. judge bates

harry thomas jr. rushed past reporters into federal court to be sentenced for his theft of more than $350,000 in city funds and filing falls income taxes for three years. prosecutors had sought a 46-month term. thomas had asked for 18 months. the judge said 38 months. but first, thomas's mother, a prominent political figure in her own right, told judge bates i humbly and passionately plead for mercy for my son. thomas himself said, what i did was wrong. i broke the law. i humiliated my family. i humiliated my mother. thomas pleaded guilty in january to two felony counts after several years of siphoning city money intended for youth programs, programs he championed. he also resigned the council seat his father once held before him. judge bates, who noted thomas's earlier positive work with young people agreed with prosecutors that thomas led the scam that cheated city children. this is a case of betrayal, the judge said. these programs were to benefit under privileged and needy children. most of the st

now, ward 5 residents will be replacing harry thomas jr. resigned in january after admitting to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in city money. now there will actually be 12 candidates on the ballot here today. although one of the candidates, amanda broadnecks, dropped out of the race. her name will still be on the ballot. many hope that the selection of a new council member will restore confidence in the system and allow the council to move past that scandal. as i mentioned, polls about to open. they open at 7:00 a.m. they will stay open until 8:00 tonight. kind of a dreary, rainy day. we are seeing people starting to arrive at the polling place. and of course this is something we'll be following all day, we'll have updates as the day progresses. reporting live in northeast, megan mcgrath, news4. >> thank you. >>> tom has a last look at the forecast. >> you'll need an umbrella like megan for the next couple of hours, then sun breaking out. then maybe more showers and thundershowers this afternoon into this evening. then we'll get

council member harry thomas jr. spent a little more than three years behind bars. he stole hundreds of dollars from the city. still no word when that sentence will start. >> its principal free on bond but on administrative leave after she was arrested and charged with stealing funds. jenny georgina enriquez-de bermant used a school credit card to spend thousands of personal -- to buy thousands of personal items. >> 18 were speed cameras coming to montgomery county. if he would like to see where they are like credit, log onto our website at wjla.com. >> why michael jackson really is the king of pop. how much facebook shares could sell for when the social network goes public, we will have those stories and more. >> good morning. topping america's money -- good news on the jobs report. another indicator, the number of people applying for jobless benefits, declined again. the biggest tumble in nearly one year. when facebook goes public in two weeks, its stock is priced between $28.30 $5 per share but is valued at almost $100 billion. big banks to the -- typically buy a

he will be sworn in may 30 and will serve the rest of the harry thomas jr.m after he stepped down after embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the city. republic >> and voters in nebraska and oregon picked mitt romney as their presidential candidate in the primary yesterday. it is too soon to tell how many delegates he will pick up. the former massachusetts governor has picked up another endorsement by former president. george w. bush said he supports the gop front runner. the president will posthumously present the medal of honor to a fallen soldier during a special white house ceremony today. the army specialist died in combat back in may of 1970 while serving in cambodia during the vietnam war. the president will also push congress to pass his election year to do less about georgetown university is at the center of the commencement controversy because of a graduation speaker. >> the archdiocese of washington criticize the catholic school bus public policy institute for inviting health and human services administrator kathleen sibelius. the cardi

council member harry thomas, jr..e voters will pick one out of 12 candidates and winner will serve the last two years of the term. he stepped down after pleading guilty to investment charges. >> turning to the 2012 campaign now, president obama hopes to reach out to women during an appearance on "the view" this morning. >> i have some questions. let's see what you have been reading. no. 1 -- which kardashian was married for only semi today's? >> that would be kim. >> many of the questions had to do with his recent pronouncements of supporting same-sex marriage but declined to say whether he would push for a repeal for defense of marriage act which defines marriages between a man and woman. >> would you fight to repeal that act? >> look -- congress is clearly on notice that i think it is a bad idea. >> the president also discussed j.p. morgan chase's $2 billion loss from risky trades and the presidential campaign. you can see it live here on abc 7. primary elections -- this time voters of nebraska and oregon have their

council member harry thomas jr. the winner will serve the last two years of his term. thomas was sentenced to 38 months in prison for stealing $350,000 from a children's program. polls are open until 8:00 tonight. >> things appear to be moving along in the maryland's special session. they have approved a package that would increase income taxes for people who make $100,000 a year. these measures go to the house. if passed the there and approved by the governor they would help /$1 billion in cuts. >> firefighters are needed in prince george's county. the fire department is flooded with applications. thousands have applied for 50 positions. gail huff is live with more on these open jobs. >> here in prince george's county, getting a firefighter's job is not easy. tomorrow they take the written exam and they have more applications than ever with your positions available. >> it is this guy poser responsibility -- >> recruits are learning how to snap and secure accident victims so they can be safely transported. for many it has been years of testing to get the opportunity to

he won the election last month to replace harry thomas jr.. he pleaded guilty to embezzling money from the city. they drop hints on the company. >> good morning. >> let's begin with the ceo. he had a lot to say about the conference. he did confirm television is an area of intense focus. it is released in 2013. he said that apple has great appreciation. on facebook, but they just received a second request notice from the federal trade commission over the $1 billion deal for buying instagram. they're seen whether it violates any antitrust laws. >> this will be the blackberry first since 2004. united continental is being sued over racial discrimination. i will have all those coming up. reporting for abc 7 news. >> all right. we will talk to using. >> it is 16 degrees. >>> still to come, mets are now reviewing safety practices after a horrible accident. learn how a woman lost part of a leg. >> they're trying to pay their respects to check brown. first of the attached on. it led to 10 inches of rain. the national hurricane center says it'll skimmed

elected in an april 3rd special election to replace harry thomas jr. who soon will begin serving the 38-month prison sentence for stealing money from city youth programs. in the district, tom sherwood. news4. >>> tomorrow family members will say their final goodbye to chuck brown. a memorial service will take place at noon at the washington convention center. donnie simpson will host the ceremony. there will be performances by the chuck brown band with sugar bear, mesa, james funk and more. the public is urged to take metro due to limited parking. you can watch the service live tomorrow afternoon on nbc washington nonstop. >>> next, and new at 5:00, a local man wanted in a murder-for-hire plot from 1975 is now in jail. police didn't have to go far to find them. he mistakenly went to them. >>> a warning from the fda about some popular pre >>> the food and drug administration has a warning d. it is sold by prescription but it is in short supply because its factive ingredients are tightly regulated by the federal some consumers have been sold fake adderal

duffy was sworn in a half hour ago and he was elected during a special election to replace harry thomas jrsigned from office. the council member made a short speech after he was sworn in. >> i knew early on that i was not motivated by money but that might own -- my own success would be defined by and ling said to my inevitability -- . >> and after taking the oath of office, he was given his name plate and is expected to sit in the same seat council member harry thomas jr. had and instead, vincent orange took the office and that is considered a better location and mc. duffy will have the former office, laura. >> shuffling going on. >> exactly. >> and thank you very much. >>> major plans for u street in northwest. there is a public meeting to talk about the street scape project. representatives from d-dot will meet with the public to talk about the street. the allies and bus pads will be changing the street lights there, traffic signals and parking meters, too and that meeting starts at 7:00, at the frank reefs center on 14th street. >>> and it's not your usual end- of-the-year celebration a

harry thomas jr. has admitted to stealing money. he'll learn how long he'll spend years behind bars. it was back in december they raided his home. they seized a motorcycle, suv, and other items. he's vejtually resigned from the dc council and pleaded gl to stealing more than $350,000, money that was ear marked for youth sports programmes. he spent that money on a lavish lifestyle. prosecutors are asking for a prison sentence of 46 months. that's a little less than four years. thomas's attorney is asking for leniency and an 18-month sentence. it's scheduled for 9:30 this morning. megan mcgrath, "news 4." >> and a judge will sentence a falls church community leader for his child molestation conviction. a jury found him gmt on three counts of child molestation. police say he assaulted two ten-year-old girls during a slumber party for his daughter at their house last summer. a judge will sentence gardner in september. prosecutors say they will retry him on another count of aggravated sexual battery. the jury deadlocked on that charge co

. >>> coming up, lawyers for harry thomas jr. beg for mercy as the former city councilman awaits 7 tens. >>> and the wife of a former aid takes the witness stand at the john edwards' trial. whether or not why her motives are called into question. >>> and a mother facing child endangerment charges for what she allegedly did at the tanning salon. >>> and thanks, laura. interesting weather day out there and temperatures across the region. we'll show you that and there is some thunderstorms on our live radar. where are they? where are they going? and will we get anymore? the first look at the forecast is coming up. a little hazy out there. we'll have the full forecast and more news. stay with us.  . >>> the trial of john edwards continued with the wife of a former aid retaking the witness stand. sherry young faced questions about whether she has an incentive to lie to hurt edwards. young testified that edwards asked her husband andrew young to issue a statement falsely claiming paternity of edwards' love child. edwa

councilman harry thomas jr.. a judge issued the sentenced yesterday in federal court.tted to stealing $350,000 from a d.c. children's program. prosecutors say the money was used for electric cars, clothing, and trips. no date has been set on when thomas will report to prison. >> former arizona congresswoman gabrielle giffords will be honored tonight in d.c. the ywca is having a women of distinction gala awards dinner for. giffords will be among four honorees. given takes place at the hyatt regency on capitol hill. she resigned in january a year after being shot in the head during an event in tucson. >> wednesday night's capitals/rangers game cost metro $30,000 if. the transit system stayed open and ou hour late. metro tel the washington post did cost about $30,000 an hour to open early or close late. the capitals will reimburse metro for the extra cost. >> it is 65 degrees on this friday morning. beyonce is known for being a singer actress, clothing designer. why did she received a journalism award? we will tell you. do you ever wish you could make some things just dis

. >> tomorrow, harry thomas, jr. will learn how long he will spend in prison. earlier he admitted embezzling more than $350,000 in government money. they were supposed to go to youth sports programs. prosecutors won a four year sentence. his lawyers are asking for 18 months. still to come, a little bad news about the job market. >> competition for the iphone. we will tell you which company wants to give apple a run for its money. >> it has become such a miss. -- mess. i should be arrested for crimes against potted plant-kind. [ clang ] my house is where plants came to die. ♪ ♪ but, it turns out all i was missing was miracle-gro potting mix. it's got what a plant needs. even plant food that feeds them for up to 6 months. you get bigger more beautiful plants. guaranteed. who's got two green thumbs thanks to miracle-gro? uh, this gal. boom! everyone grows with miracle-gro. >> the fed steps in to end the bickering and the dulles rail project. >> the main sticking point now is how to keep the project going into loud in county. >> the meeting wrapped up a little more

harry thomas, jr. will learn his fate from a federal judge. he will be sentenced for embezzling over $350,000 that was supposed to go toward a youth program. he served nearly four years behind bars but lawyers argued it could be less. >> it is official, martin o'malley has called a special session. the goal at this time is to avoid the doomsday budget $500 million in automatic cuts. it could not come to a deal last month but they are now making headway. >> we are on storm watch tonight as we look at storms that could arrive by the time you wake up in the morning. bob wright joins us with the mechanics backed. >> we have had the last couple of mornings with showers and even a rumble of thunder. tomorrow morning maybe a little bit different. this is how much rain fell. that was really in the early morning hours at germantown and around washington, but especially southern maryland. but the on live doppler right now. let's get our north. a line of showers and nasty storms coming through pennsylvania. tomorrow morning maybe your time for people and

he will be sworn in on may 30 and serve the rest of harry thomas jr.'s term. thomas stepped down, of course, after pleading guilty to embezzling thousands of dollars from the city. house delegates will vote on a package of budget measures today. the measure hikes taxes on anyone living more than 100,000 -- making more than $100,000 per year. it raises taxes on some tobacco products. if the house approves the deal today the session will end. >> still to come on the news at noon staying in school, a formula for success? it may also be the secret to staying young. >> weighs four wounded warriors to get around these days. that story coming up. >> plus, betty white comes to washington. what is your agenda? her message is far from politics. >> >> a disturbing string of attacks in mississippi sparking investigations across the state. the killer is posing as a police officer using an unmarked car to pull over drivers and kill them. a man and woman were murdered on a remote stretch of interstate 55. authorities said there is no connection between the victims killed so

harry thomas, jr. is sentenced to 38 months for stealing city funds meant for d.c.'s youth. harry thomas, jr. had nothing to say to reporter as he left the federal courthouse in the district yesterday. inside, told judge john bates that he had hue -- humiliated his family and his community. >>> a prince william county elementary school principal is under arrest. jenny debarmont is accused of embezzling more than $#,000 using a school issued credit card. she is currently on administrative leave -- $8,000 using a school issued credit card. >>> new details involving a drug bust of a dentist. dr.karmand was arrested at his home yesterday accused of trying to deal crystal meth. police told the court they found $11,000 worth of crystal meth and seven ounces of ghb in the doctor's home. he is being charged with possession with intent to sell. >>> coming up next, he is charged with nearly 3,000 counts of murder. tomorrow, self-proclaimed mastermind of the 9-11 attacks will be in court. >> first, the final word

. >> lawyers for harry thomas, jr. asked the judge to accepted him to prison in either florida or alabama. the location as well as a date for thomas to report to jail will be decided at a later time. >>> a doctor and developer links to the corruption scream involving jack johnson is headed to prison i'm judge sentenced mirza beg to 18 months behind bars. agents overheard johnson telling his wife to tear up a $100,000 check. beg wrote that check. at check. >>> the campaign for president officially starts tomorrow and virginia is becoming more and more of a key battleground contest. president obama is visiting the commonwealth today. just yesterday, mitt romney got the endorsement of the tea party favorite, congresswoman michelle bachmann. we get more now from fox 5's sureyly who is live where the president will be in arlington. good morning. >> good morning. president obama will be speaking with students here at washington lee high school in arlington. this is not an official campaign event but it shows that virginia wil

he won a special election earlier this year to remace harry thomas, jr. igned the ward five seat back in january just days before he pleaded guilty to embezzling city funds for personal use. mcduffie will serve the remainder of thomas' term. >>> a metro worker is recovering from serious injuries after he was hit by a train. it happened just before 1:00 yesterday afternoon at the shady grove rail yard. the worker was trapped under the train for about an hour. he was able to speak with rescue crews as they tried to get him out. he was airlifted to shock trauma in baltimore. >>> thousands of people said their final good-byes to go-go legend chuck brown. has family held a public viewing yesterday where brown was scheduled to play his next gig before he pass wade on may 16th. huge crowds r crowd as you can imagine turned out through outdate to pay their respects to the d.c. musician. many fans turned the occasion into an opportunity to celebrate his life. they threw a block party outside the theater dancing to brown's music and sharing their memories. tomorrow'

in in a special election in the district for the ward 5 seat of disgraced former councilman harry thomas, jr. recently sentenced to more than three years in prison for stealing money intended tore youth groups. the unofficial -- for youth groups. the unofficial winner, kenyon mcduffie. with all precincts reporting mcduffie has more than 44% of the vote. it was a crowded race with 12 names on the ballot. the biggest issue seemed to be d.c. corruption. let's bring in fox 5 political analyst mark plotkin for some perspective. mark, we say that the biggest issue was d.c. corruption and yet kenyon mcduffie has worked for vincent gray in the past. >> well, he ran two years ago against harry thomas, jr. and he finished third. he got about 2,800 votes. this time he got about 4,000 votes and delano hunter ran also and bested him. he had finished second. this is a question of triumph of organization and name recognition and raising money. there were 61,000 eligible voters. turnout was about 15%. names was well known and it was not -- his name was well known and it was not a stigma to have worked in th

>> no comment. >> no comment from harry thomas jr. as he left the courthouse minutes after learning he was going to prison for about three years. earlier in court thomas told the judge this is the weakest moment in my life and also said, "i have harmed the interest of the district of columbia which i love." thomas' mother remain thomas pleaded for mercy and leniency as other family members wiped away tears. she told the judge she had lectured her son on the harm he has brought to his family. kelly collins, a thomas supporter, was inside the courtroom. oom. >> i felt that the sentence was fair. the judge did have compassion. they saw the growth in harry thomas. >> reporter: prosecutors even admitted thomas had worked hard for his community before he became a council member, but the court should not show mercy because thomas stole from the people he said he wanted to help, d.c.'s youth. >> there are so many people that are praying for the family as well as harry thomas. so we just want to get him back in the community. there's so much m

kenyan mcduffie easily won the special election to replace harry thomas, jr. unofficial returns show he received nearly 45% of the vote. delano hunter was a distant second with 20%. mcduffie is a 36-year-old attorney. he says ward 5 residents are ready for move past the harry thomas, junior junior scandal. >> one of the things i heard most over the last three months is about integrity. people want to send somebody down there who will be and honest independent broker. a lot of candidates talk about accountability and integrity. i've got a track record of doing those things. of a been a civil rights attorney for the u.s. department of justice where i've held state and local governments accountable. >> mcduffie will be sworn sworn in after the result are certified on may 30th. >>> d.c. leaders passed a budget that also lets bars stay open later. the city council is using the expanded alcohol sales to balance next year's $9.4 billion budget. the city had been facing a deficit of $170 million but a statement from mayor vince gray thanks the council for not adding a

when he came and before he was sworn in. >> as for the former councilman, harry thomas, jr., he's at home awaiting as to where he's going to be serving that 38 month prison sentence. it's going to be a prison camp in montgomery, alabama, or pensacola, florida. the winner of today's special election will no doubt come from their ranks. the winner should be known later tonight. the healing will take a lot longer. >> no matter what when wins, we have to focus on pushing this ward forward. >> we haven't seen anything on the turnout. and if it's only a few people turning out, it doesn't take a lot of people to turn them in. these names have been out here for a long time. people waiting their turn. we'll see if one of these guys gets in. back to you guys. >> bruce, thank you. derek. >>> now we get to maryland's legislature, that special session they have going on. the state senate approved higher income taxes for the wealthiest 14% of maryland citizens, but tax hike is not a done deal. now the bill moves to the house of delegates for taxing high income earners is hitting their constituents

>>harry thomas, jr.'s sentences more than three years in jail. an apology in courts by thomas himself. sam ford is live in federal court with reaction to the sentencing. >> there did not seem to be much glee in the courtroom that they had got him. even the prosecutors said thomas had done good things but admittedly started stealing money intended for their very kids. it was a sad day in court. the last time thomas came to court he was still a combat of politician. and this morning he was mama. what he told the judge was the lowest moment of his life. the prosecutor asked baits for a 46 month sentence pointing to $350,000 he admittedly still from d.c. children programs. thomas's mother asked the judge for mercy. he said he had lost his moral compass and humiliated his family. later he walked out with a 38 month sentence. no date set for when he reports to prison. >> today poses sentence sends a significant message that corruption will not be tolerated in the city. >> a may 15 special election is being held to replace him. >> everybody's lips, you