this diagnosis from a well- respected psychiatrist and is not the sole opinion of mr. barry or ms. watts. ladies and gentlemen of the district of columbia, ms. watts should not be believed. her allegations against mr. bare bar are just simply not true. they are mr. barry just simply are not true, they are lies. with regard to the allegations regarding councilman barry, let me say that the events surrounding the contract have nothing to do with the events which occurred over the 4th of july weekend. but because of the media choosing to make big of this, i believe it is important to help thresidents of the district of columbia learn about the actions surrounding the contract to ms. watts. ms. watts was awarded a contract by mr. barry in september of 2009. the contract was for six -- i'm sorry in september of 2008. the contract was for $60,000 to begiven out in amounts of 5000 a month. the contract was entitled merging leaders. it was designed to develop a program to identify and recruit and develop the next leaders of ward 8. the contracted was awarded to ms. watts because she met the

mr. barry. we didn't hear from mr. barry himself. >> unfortunately we're having a little technical difficulty there with the shot. we'll work on that and try to get back to him in a few minutes. >>> sarah palin's bomb shell continues to make waves. was it a smart move or a political swansong? >>> and the washington post makes an apology for offering to sell access to the president at a high price. hear what the publisher wrote in the paper. >>> what would you think if we told you that stimulus money is going to create temporary jobs for the summer? stick aroun d.  >>> we have reestablished our 10 connects with paul for the latest on the marion barry arrest. >> reporter: just a few moments ago mr. barry stood out here and didn't speak but his attorney spoke for him. mr. cook went through what he says happened only july 4th. some of the highlights, barry denies the charge. he says the stalking charges are baseless. he said that we'll demonstrate in court that the charges are fal

and barry said that mrs. watts has helped him over the years. >> never did mr. barry feel this would be an outcome. the best word that describes him is betray. in anacostia park, indicated that barry was stalking her. how the two came together is unknown. >> mr. barry was transported to the substation and after questioning and in consultation, a misdemeanor of stalking was charged. >> mr. barry was released on his own recognizant. this is a string of illegal troubles for mr. barry who is on probation for not filing taxes on time. >> in his third term of mayor, he was arrested for smoking crack cocaine but re-elected. fourth of july nightmare after bridge collapses and hear why it may have collapsed. and the former leader of honduras unable to return to his country. what happened and when he will return. >> plans for a public memorial and private funeral continue for michael jackson. >> well good news for investigators trying to figure out the cause of tuesday's plane crash. they have now located the black box recorders. the plane took off in capital of kamarus. t

mr. barry has in the past helped her financially. mr. in the past provided her with support through her health conditions and mr. barry has in the past helped her in herearch for employment. and so while the relationship did end, they were still friends. and mr. barry felt compelled to continue to assist her in that manner. and like i said in the beginning, it has come back to hurt him. >> you can set the record straight about just what did happen then to lead to these charges on that evening? >> well our account is that mr. barry did have lunch. at some point there was a decision to turn around. mr. barry wept back and picked up his car from her house. he left. they went their separate ways. after that, some hours later, somehow they bumped into one another in anacostia park and at that point, mr. barry was on his way home. and somehow from, according to police, ms. watts flagged down the officer and said that she was being bothered. now as it stands right now, according to d.c. stalking laws, someone who says that they have been bothere

. >> never did mr. barry think that this would come as the payback to him. the best word to describe mr. barry at this hour is betrayed. >> reporter: u.s. park police say watts flagged down an officer about 8:45 p.m. and indicated that barry was stalking her. just how the two came to be in the park is unknown. williamsays barry was on his way home when he bumped into watts. >> mr. barry was transported to the district 5 sub station after being interviewed by detective and consultation with the u.s. attorneys office a charge, misdemeanor charge of stalking was placed against mr. barry. >> reporter: barry was released on his own recognizance aexpected to appear in court later this week. this is the latest? a string of legal troubles for barry already on probation for failing to file taxes on time. news 4 was able to speak to donna watts at her home in gton.east wain she did noo waon tnt on t cam ra sxt sthsny agin sar bryid d rr,hehe hid d forer d h hrey el orananerevedsk himor f .g she we otosan y, d iot n flag anyoneow dnr o d fileil chars. th poe p tuldlemh

the false allegations against mr. barry should have never been made. >> spokesperson natalie williams confirmed council member barry did award an employment contract to donna watts brighthoff, the woman at the center of the arrest controversy. >> ms. watts at the time, was qualified for the position and went through the proper channels in order to get, be awarded for that contract. >> for donna watts brighthoff, a painful end to the relationship with the most controversial charismatic politician in d.c. history. he claims he was intensely jealous of her ex-husband who remains a friend and helped her through cancer treatment. here's how she describes what happened after barry left her home, july 4th. >> i said he is bothering me. make sure he goes home. i thought it was d.c. police. because they just let him go. i wasn't thinking that i was -- that's my fault. i wasn't thinking bad things. i wasn't thinking the worst. >> she says she was blinded by what she still refers to as barry's political brilliance. but she says there

houttwo became to be in the park is unzpleer mr. barry was transported to the united states park police. and after being interviewed by detectives by the u.s. park police and consultation with the u.s. attorney's office a charge of a misdemeanor charge of staurkg acwapls edgainst mr. barry. >> reporter: wat tewold n sd 4, did fot aglanyone wngdo ar id fili f chs.ge the police pulled him over. he got pulled over for a traffic violation and he tried to cut me off, end quote. this is the latest in a string of legal troubles for barry. who is on probation for failing to file his taxes on time. >> it's pretty sad. i mean, aot of young kids look up to him and so far as a role model and everything and it's an unfortunate situation. >> i think it's bogus. i think it's bogus. i think they just trying to get whatever they want out of him. you know he's a good guy. he's done a whole lot and they're trying to decredit him. >> reporter: darcy spencer, news4. >> barry has scheduled a press conference his attorney tomorrow morning to talk more about the

at no time was she ever threatened by mr. barry. and at no time was she ever stalked by mr. barry. >> reporter: now, barry released a statement that responds to the voicemail. he said any sexual relationships between him and miss watts was a private matter that was consensual. the statement says the release of the tapes does not incriminate him. this word just in as we mentioned to you, the u.s. attorney's office not going to pursue the stalking charges against marion barry. his response to that this evening, that he is thankful and praised the u.s. attorney's office for making the right decision. >> just quickly, down at the wilson building, is anybody looking into the $60,000 contract he gave a way to the woman. >> i don't know that anybody is looking into it. we talked to council members and they had mixed feelings about whether this would upset barry's political career. there were some that thought it might be a misuse and abuse of his powers to hand out the contracts, but there were others that said they were not clear on what the rules are of using your council budget t

park police interviewed mr. barry and after consultation with the united states attorney's office, a misdemeanor charge of stalking was placed on mr. barry. >> he was released early this morning and will have to face the charges in d.c. superior court. >> gary, let's talk about good news. >> i'm sleepy enough i might regret something. let's move on. how about weather? >> good. >> yesterday was good. we know that. got that pressure off of me. now let's move on into sunday. look on the bright side, it won't be hot today. the temperatures will be proaching 80 degrees for a high. 80 might be a stretch. it's cloudy out there now. we'll look at max hd radar and show you right now there is light rain. at least that's what we're tracking. but some of this is probably not touching the ground. in waldorf, rain sneaking up on you and la plata, probably very light there and dale city the same. and down i-95 it does get heavier. back over to max hd true view, the bigger picture. farther down to the south it looks like this is wher

mr. barry's controversial life. reporting live, armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. >> thank you. >>> we are learning more about virginia governor kaine's moon lighting job. he is talking about how he is splitting his time as the head of the democratic national committee and as governor. he tells the "washington post" he spends a day and a half each workweek dealing with dnc business. most of it is fund-raising and policy issues. he said he would only work nights and weekends while still governor. me is keeping his travel plans confidential. >>> leaders of the eight biggest economies are meeting in italy. high on their agenda is global warming and economic issues. susan roberts has more. >> reporter: eight of the world's most powerful leaders are reaching out to five of the fastest developing nations them g-8 and g-5 will try to find common ground on a host of issues including global warming and international trade. president obama will lead the climate discussions. yet the president and world leaders agreed

. >> the best word to describe mr. barry at this hour is betrayed. he adamantly denied the charges. >> reporter: he paid $800 to buy her an opera jacket at the same time he was trying to repay tacks. >> mr. barry has over a period of time lended his friendship and his support to the accuser, miss donna watts through her many stages of instable. >> reporter: this barry's third run in with park police since his i misdemeanor drug charges in ' 92. >> i have had several calls today and the biggest thing they are saying right off the bat. here we go again. he's been arrested again. so embarrassing. >> if convicted of this stalking charge, barry could face a year in prison and a fine up to $500. jessica, back to you. >> thank you. >>> today the district will begin to recognize same-sex marriages. the city council approved the idea this year by a 12-1 vote. congress has final approval on the issue and let it pass. same-sex marriages are performed in three states right now. opponents are trying to get the new law overturned. >>> a woman accused in the death

. >> the person who made these charges against mr. barry has in large part recounted her initial allegation. she has said that it was not threatened. she did not fear for her life or her physical safety. she indicates she's had recently as a couple of hours before this alleged incident had a meal with mr. barry. >> reporter: cook says the charge is baseless. barry was arrested in anacostia park on saturday night after u.s. park police say they were flagged down and the accusation made. watts declined to tell her side of the story on camera today but did speak with two u.s. park police officers who visited her home this afternoon. in a three-page statement released monday morning, watts seemingly contradicted herself. it reads in part -- it is now up to the u.s. attorney's office to decide whether or not to prosecute barry. he will have to appear in court on thursday morning where he will learn what the government plans to do. iffy prosecution goes forward it could be problematic in federal court where he is on probation for failing to file

mr. barry says he's not going to let the matter drop. in fact he may pursue other avenues because he said u.s. park police held him for hours without being able to contact his attorney and he is very angry. marion barry will get yet another one of his many days in court. >> on behalf of councilman marion barry, his family friends we'd like to say our hearts are full tonight with thanks. >> reporter: that is because this time around the ending will be happy. >> we are grateful the office of the u.s. attorney has seen fit to not proceed in charging mr. barry for any criminal violations surrounding the july 4th event. >> reporter: events that led to stalking charges being filed by u.s. park police after a bizarre altercation between barry and his form per girlfriend in anacostia park. >> the arrest of mr. barry should have never taken place. >> reporter: for the alleged victim, former barry girlfriend, donna watts the ending is not so happy. >> i hate the fact that i'm going down in history as one

at no time was she ever threatened by mr. barry. and at no time was she ever stalked by mr. barry launched a number of personal attacks at brighthoff who showed up at the press conference, by barry was not there. he is scheduled to be in court tomorrow where prosecutors will decide to file formal charges. >>> a 2-year-old child almost drowned in waltorff. two adults left the 2-year-old in the care of a 14-year-old. then the 14-year-old went fishing leaving the 2-year-old at home alone. then the 2-year-old fell into the family pool. the toddler was taken to the hospital in grave condition. >>> michael jackson was an entertainment phenomenon, both try yum tant and troubled. he transcended barriers, transformed the music worlds and transformed fans in every corner of the earth. 20,000 people gathered inside the staples center in honor of michael jackson. at the same time, millions of others around the world were watching from their homes. the memorial was a star-studded event. musicians such asthma rye ya carrie, jennifer hudson and stevie wonder paid tribute to the music legend

and at no time was she ever stalked by mr. barry. >> mr. barry's spokesperson launched a series of personal attacks against her who showed up at the news conference to deny the attack. barry, however, was not there. he is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow where prosecutors will likely say whether or not they are filing formal charges or simply dropping the case. >>> a backyard tragedy in charles county. >> natural gas leak force it is evacuation of an entire city block. >>> four other stories making headlines in our area today. charles county child drowned in his family's backyard pool. 19-month-old jason burk was found by his mother when she returned home. the child had been asleep in his room and was thought to have been watched by his 15-year-old cousin. the cousin did not know the child was asleep in the house and left. the mother returned and realized the child was not with the cousin and called police to report a missing child. it appears that the death was accidental. >>> a motorcycle accident backed up traffic this morning on bra

. >> mr. barry -- >> reporter: the end of a closed door session the d.c. ty council chairman announced an independent investigator will look into a contract that council member marion barry awarded to his former girl friend donna watts-brighthaupt. >> we want the public to be as satisfied as they possibly can that this situation has been thoroughly investigated and we've gotten at what the facts are. >> reporter: barry took to the podium defending himself. >> nowhere has this been pointed out. >> reporter: listen carefully and you'll here a council member say i just can't take this. >> i just can't take this. >> can we hear from you? why are you walking out? >> reporter: but he and council member mary chay walk out. he later released a statement saying he didn't want to appear to be rallying behind barry and went on to say, "mr. barry owes the residents and taxpayers of the district of columbia a public apology. his refusal to do so continues a long standing pattern of council member barry refusing to take personal responsibility for his actions." high prof

mr. barry was traveling on public streets, on his way home. and that's how he found himself in the park. he was not following anyone. >> the woman did not speak publicly today but issued a three-page written statement saying it is senseless to publicly and officially accuse marion of stalking after having a meal with him just an hour earlier. now watts denied anyone connected to her made threats against barry. barry is expected in court on thursday. the park police would not comment on what prompted the charge, will. >> another update on thursday. thank you. >>> breaking news in the search for a serial killer in south carolina. it looks like it may be over. police think they know the identity of the person wo killed five people, terrorizing that region for days. it is this man. 41-year-old patrick burres. it fun -- it turns out he was shot to death during a burglary attempt in north carolina. his gun matches the murders used in the murdering spree. >>> the drama surrounding michael jackson's estate unfolding in court. a judge ruled today jacks

her allegations against mr. barry are simply not true. they are lies. >> reporter: but miss watts crashed that press conference and denied those accusations. >> only heard a little of what she said and what i did hear is not true. >> reporter: barry's spokesperson admitted that watts had been awarded a $60,000 no bid contract for a poverty reduction program in ward 8 but said it is legal. >> it is not unusual nor is it illegal for council members to award contracts to supporters or family members woodwale fie or can provide the services that are required. >> reporter: barry's spokesperson says the former mayor and watts were romantically involved was irrelevant to the contract process and offered this explanation as to why watts was given the award. >> miss watts was about to lose her house, her car and due to stability of finding employment. mr. barry did, in fact, do this primarily not because of miss watts but because of mrs. watts ' children. >> reporter: dc law says public officials cannot use their position to directly benefit membe

. >> the arrest of mr. barry should have never taken place. the false allegations against mr. barry should have never been made. >> reporter: spokesperson natalie williams confirmed council member barry did award an employment contract to donna watts-brighthaupt, the woman at the center of the arrest controversy while the two were romantically involved. >> miss watts, at the time, was qualified for the position and went through the proper channels in order to be awarded for that contract. >> reporter: dofor donna watts-brighthaupt it was a public, painful end to a relationship with the most controversial, charismatic politician in d.c. history. she claims he was intensely jealous of her ex-husband who she says remains a friend and helped her through cancer treatment. here's how she describes what happened after barry left her home the evening of july fourth. >> i said he's bothering me. make sure he goes home, you know. i thought it was d.c. police because he gets away -- they just let him go. i, i wasn't thinking that i was in a federal place. that's not my fault. i wasn't thi

mr. barry has said that he has every intention on elevating these concerns. >>> a new statement just released. marion barry stalking case could be coming to an end but new tonight hints another battle between the dc council member and park police could be in the works. and for the first time donna watts brighthaupt speaks out about her relationship with the former mayor. our own gary nuenburg joins us live. >> reporter: good evening, derek. with the reports of the charges are dropped the woman that barry is accused of stalking is now talking about her rocky relationship with the former mayor. >> we were a dysfunctional pair. >> reporter: donna watts brighthaupt says her relationship with marion barry were damaging. >> i lost the respect of my mom and family members. >> reporter: and not just family members. >> i hate the fact that i'm going down in history as one of the many woman who thinks he has defeated. there is a barry machine. >> reporter: that protexts a barry mind set. >> it is never h

on july 4th and under in circumstances incriminates mr. barry of any crime." you can read the entire statement on wusa9.com. >>> right now president obama is attending his first g8 economic summit in italy. over three days the group of eight world leaders will wrestle with north korea's nuclear issues, global warming. but stimulating the sluggish economy is the first priority. >> we discussed the importance of europe and the united states raising standards on financial institutions to ensure that a crisis like the one that has taken place will never happen again. >> the leaders have already stuck a new agreement on climate change announcing a goal to keep the world temperature from rising more than 3.5 degrees celsius. >> back in washington vice president biden announcing a new health care reform agreement with hospitals. hospitals will contribute 155 billion, with a b, dollars, in medicare and medicaid savings. that money will be dispersed over the next ten years to help cover medical costs for the millions of uninsured in our country. >> today's announcement

far as to bar her husband from the wilson building. >> that person had been confrontational with mr. barry in the past and asked the secretary of the council to exclude the individual from the building. >> reporter: barry was arrested on saturday and today lawyers question the actions of park police. >> i don't know how the officers decided that an offense happened in their presence. >> watts denied her ex-husband threatened barry and said she was disappointed on how barry's camp is labeling her as troubled. >>> now the u.s. attorney's office will have to weigh all of these versions about what happened out there to see if there is enough evidenceto charge barry. he is expected in court on thursday. >>> another big story tonight, the final farewell to the king of pop just hours away. last-minute preparations are underway. massive crowds are expected to show up to remember michael jackson. meanwhile michael jackson's mother is no longer in control of his estate. a judge has handed it over to the two men jackson named in his will. josh eininger has the latest. >> reporter: in just hours the w

mr. barry for any criminal violations surrounding the july 4th event. >> reporter: events that led to stalking charges being filed by police after a bizarre altercation between barry and his former girlfriend in anacostia park. >> the the arrest of mr. barry should have never taken place. >> reporter: for the allege victim, former barry girlfriend, donna watts the ending is not so happy. >> i hate the fact i'm going down in history as one of the many women who he thinks he's defeated. yet there is something else that may happen. after the arrest it was brought to light that barry hired donna watts on a city payroll with a $60,000 no bid contract and that has some dc council members upset. one is asking for an investigation either by the council or by the district attorney general peter nichols. so a lot more episodes to go in the marion barry reality show. the question is anyone watching or does anyone care? back to you. >>> we are learning more about virginia governor tim kaine's moon lighting

. >> mr. barry has over a period of time lended his friendship and his support to the accuser miss donna watts through her many stages of instability. >> reporter: this is barry's third run in with park police since his drug charges in ' 92. >> we have had several calls today and the biggest thing they are saying off the bat is he's been arrested again, so embarrassing. >> reporter: now, if convicted of this misdemeanor stalking charge, he could face up to a year in jail and a fine up to $500. jessica? >>> police are investigating a multiple shooting that injured a 10-year-old girl. it happened early sunday morning in southeast washington. police were called to the 600 block of 46th place in the benning ridge neighborhood. one man suffered life- threatening injuries. three others including a girl were also wounded. >>> more trouble at the new beginnings youth center in laurel, maryland. six teens escaped on sunday. they were recaptured within two hours near the route 198 at the baltimore-washington

>> as you also know for some of the media sources, the person who has made these charges against mr. barryas in large part recanted her initial allegation. she has said that she was not threatened. she did not fear for her life. she did not fear for her physical safety. she indicates she has had as recently as a couple hours before this alleged incident, had a meal with mr. barry. >> barry is currently on probation in the federal tax evasion case. berry served four terms of mayor of d.c. in his third he was videotaped in 1990 in a hotel room smoking crack cocaine in an fbi sting. he served six months in prison. >>> despite all the turbulent news, pretty calm weather. right now maryland's most powerful radar not indicating any precipitation around the region, and we're not expecting until we get along towards the end of the week. sheer the forecast for the next couple of hours. partly cloudy. temperatures hanging in the 80s. we talked about some precipitation. when is it going to arrive and how long is it going to last? we've got the answers curfew. >> thanks, norm. >>> lounging in the sun

from the very beginning mr. barry has spoken truthfully and has been consistent in his accounts of the events that took place and we are thankful to the u.s. attorney's office for seeing through it and making the right decision. >> reporter: now here is that statement issued by the u.s. attorney's office this afternoon saying in part, "following a review of the evidence and a careful analysis of the relevant facts including the almosts of the offense and strengths and weaknesses of the evidence, we decided not to pursue the stalking charges." now marion barry indicated today he's willing to move forward on this. however, he intends to speak with the park police about this. he says he's to know exactly why he was arrested and why they held him for so long. he expects to speak more about this tomorrow. >> we will certainly follow it. thank you. >>> fox 5 also following another developing story tonight in the district, the murder of a 70-year-old man. tuesday morning police were edllca to a house in the 1800 block of har

mr. barry did, in fact, do this primarily, not because of miss watts but because of her children. >> reporter: now, dc law says a public official cannot use his or her decision to benefit a direct member of her family, wife, child and so forth. there is nothing in the statute about a girlfriend and as far as the stalking charges go, mr. barry expects those charges to be dismissed when he appears in court tomorrow. live in the wilson building, 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> a driver in custody after a deadly crash on the beltway. the crash happened last night on the outer loop just before the american legion bridge. police say an suv rear ended a car. the driver of the car lost control and went over the guardrail. the vehicle plunged 200 feet in to some trees. both men in the car died. police say the suv driver kept going but crashed on the other side of the bridge where r.rginia state police arrested @he investigators believalcohehol was a factor. >>> an autopsy will be performed on a high schoo

gone horribly wrong in a lot of ways and resulted in one party of the relationship striking out at mr. barry, and repaying him for some of his kindness and efforts to be of assistance to that individual by offering up these charges, which we believe to be false. ic ere flagged down an o that was in patrol in the area, bad she pointed to marion rr ba he was in another car and said that he was stalking her. sh wae taken intowa -- he was taken into custody. dan there i a rambling atstent that doenotat provide detail to what happened, but she thsan ie statemet n thaeth term stalking is the correct term to be used in the circumstance. she went on to say that there is a lot ofe confusion about what happenmo ang the parties involved. and she went on to say"those atth truly katwno mario barry willw not be sock qui to condem me, and those that know me through him will not be so quick to defend him." we will have more coming up later in the show. barbara and joe? >> thank you, megan. >>> tomorrow a public memorial will be held for the pop icon. police say they are bracing for hundreds of thousands of

mr. barry did, in fact, do this primarily, not because of miss watts. but because of mrs. watts' children. >> now, barry is still married. but he has been separated from his wife for years. >> the federal law at the center of the gay marge argument -- marriage could soon be overturned. sal selive in the newsroom with -- sally is live in the newsroom with more. >> reporter: they said this is unconstitutional because it infringes on state rights. the law defines marriage as between one man and one woman. now, massachusetts says that's discriminatory, and that gay couples legally married in their state should be receiving federal benefits. among those benefits, eligibility for medicaid. before the law was passed if they were married at the state level, they'd also be recognized at the federal level. back to you, vic. >> massachusetts was the first u.s. state to legalize gay marriage in 2004. since then, about 16,000 gay couples have been married there. >>> a change in policies for the united states, as president obama attends his first g8 meeting with other world leaders. char

mr. barry's grant recipients and fiscal agents recognize ms. richardson as the ultimate administrator of the money and her orders came from mr. barry. >> reporter: barry says there is nothing wrong with oversight on grants from his office. >> my office is officially the liaison to make sure there's accountability. they don't make decisions about personnel. the directors are hired by the board. >> reporter: sharon wise says her signature was forged on documents she's never approved. sources say she's been contacted by the fbi. >>> nevada senator john ensign says he'll run for reelection despite having an affair with a staffer's wife and his parents' $96,000 payout to the woman's family. he says she's gotten encourage from supporters and wants to earn back their respect. >>> and intelligence officials say the $1 million program never got off the grand enough to require congressional notification. it was shut down last month. >>> al-qaeda's second in command releases a new terror tape, addressed to pakistani people. in an audio message, the pakist

mrs. watts' children. >> reporter: barry is still married. but he's been separated from his wife for years. >>> governor martin o'malley testified on capitol hill in front of a house oversight committee. it was to see how certain states were handling the tracking of government stimulus money. governor o'malley said maryland already had a system in place. he praised the state's ability to provide a transparent report to the citizens. massachusetts governor also testified. >>> the wife of disgraced financier bernard madoff is now leave the country. a federal judge ruled to return her pass port after it was confiscated by u.s. marshals. she was forced to give up all but $2.5 million of her personal fortune. madoff is now serving a 150- year prison term for masterminding a $100 billion ponzi scream. >>> now that the public memorial service is over, the singer's private life is back under the microscope. lots of unanswered questions remain. >> reporter: the final resting place for the king of pop is still a mystery. the jackson family is even keep

mr. barry's office. yes, certainly, those are questions that we want to address, issues that we want to look at. i don't want to leap to judgment either. we want to look systematically at these things and see if the contract was properly executed in the first pce. >> reporter: according to record provided by the council, marion barry awarded the contract to donna watts brighthaupt last october 22nd telling the council of the -- secretary of the council she was educationally qualified. compensation 2500 every two weeks. at one point the contract was terminated by barry then reinstated. so far watts brighthaupt has been paid $15,000. the council secretary approved an additional payment of $5,000. the question remains was barry using his power to employ as a way to reward then punish. d.c. city council members have no code of conduct, no ethical standards to guide them through their daily public lives. it's something vincent gray plans to change, perhaps as soon as september. he ordered a study on best prac

. >> the best word to describe mr. barry at this hour is betrayed. he adamantly denies the charges. >> barry and watts made headlines last april after he paid $800 to buy her an opera jacket at the same time he was trying to repay taxes. >> mr. barry has, over a period of time, lended his friendship and his support to the accuser, miss donna watts through her many stages of instability. >> reporter: this is barry's third run in with park police since the misdemeanor drug charges in ' 92. >> i had several calls today and the biggest thing they are saying, right off the bat, here we go again, he's been arrested again, it is so embarrassing. >> reporter: the press conference with barry himself will begin in just under an hour at 10:00 a.m. we will tell you what he had to say on 9 news now at noon. >>> today the district will recognize same-sex marriages. the city council approved the idea earlier this year by a 12- 1 vote. congress has final approval on the issue and let it past. same-sex marriages are performed in three states right now. opponents are t

horribly wrong in a lot of ways and has resulted in one party to that relationship striking out at mr. barry. >> reporter: that was barry's attorney fred cook. marion barry is scheduled for a court hearing on the stalking charge on thursday. he declined to speak at that news conference on the advice of his lawyer. >>> homeland security secretary janet napolitano got a tour of port security efforts yesterday in charleston, south carolina. the port of charleston is establishing a program called project seahawk which could be a model for the rest of the country. it is designed to use law enforcement on local, state and national levels to monitor port security. >> reporter: the associated press is reporting a suspected u.s. missile attack in pakistan near the afghan border. the missiles which are believed to have been launched by unmanned american planes killed at least 18 suspected militants. the united states has launched more than 40 missile strikes against targets in the same region since last august. >>> monday was the deadliest day for u.s. forces in afghanistan in nearly a year. bombs and

her allegations against mr. barry are simply not true. they are lies. >> reporter: miss watts crashed that press conference and denied those accusations. >> i only heard a little of what she said and what i heard was not true. >> reporter: they say that watts had been awarded a $60,000 no bid contract for a project in ward 8 but said it is legal it. >> is not unusual or is it illegal for council members to award contracts to supporters or family members who qualify or can provide the services that are required. >> reporter: barry's spokesperson says the fact the former mayor and watts were romantically involved is irrelevant to the contract process and offered this explanation why watts was given the award. >> miss watts was about to lose her house, her car and due no to instability of finding employment, mr. barry did do this primarily not because of miss watts but because of mrs. watts rye children. >> reporter: andrea, the actual money received by miss watts is $15,000. she didn't get the full 60,000 and as far as dc law is concerned t

>> the perception of the charges would have the residents of the district of columbia to believe mr. barry has been in aggressive pursuit of the accuser and has harassed her. however, this is not the case. >> the accuser reached on the phone says she never asked for barry to be arrested about you does say he followed her and her -husband in her car. >> it seems the is more to the story than is being told. but i don't thi -- whyould he harass a friend and him being 72 years old? just doesn't add up. >> while bear have i expected to make his case to the public later this morning, he will have to make it to a judge on thursday. he is due in court then. we are live at the wilson building, matt brock, abc 7 news. >> here are a few more details on our top story. this is not marion barry's first brush with the law. in 1990 he was caught smoking crack in a hotel room in an f.b.i. sting. he served six months in prison and was re-elected as mayor in 1994. in 2006 he was sentenced to probation for failing to file his tax returns. >> now to a developing story from overnight. a bankruptcy judge made a

. >> at no time was she ever threatened by mr. barry. and at no time was she ever stalked by mr. barry. >> natalie williams launched a series of personal attacks against watts-brighthaupt, who showed up at the press conference and denied those attacks. and barry will likely decide whether or not to file formal charges. >>> a toddler died after climb into a phal cinrles county c land. the boymathf oe middle leftf care of the child of his 14-year-old brother. investigators say the brother went shg,ing, leaving the child thleep at home. e 18-month-old woke up and wonderedutdesi anddeli cedmbed into an above ground pool. police were called when the motheretur dne home alddou c not find tou child. the child was later found in the pool and brought to the hospital and pronounced dead. >>> two people are dead after a car ran off the beltway. this happened around 11:00. montgomery county fire officials say the car landed in the woods in cabin john. one man pronounced dead at the scene and another died at the hospital. police are trying to figure out what caused that accident. >>> and this

the council grant money and her orders allegedly came from mr. barryeporter: barry says cantagna is out to get him because he didn't like his vote on same-sex marriage. he says there's nothing wrong with oversight on grants from his office. >> my office -- [ inaudible ] to make sure of accountability. they don't make any decision about personnel. the project directors are hired by the board of directors. >> reporter: sharon wise says her signature as well as her sons' were forged on documents she never approved. soces closeo wise say she's been contacted by the f.b.i. in the fox 5 newsroom, i'm paul wagner. >>> one word dscribes today's weather. sensational. if you didn't know better stepping out tonight you would think it's september, not july. how long is it going to last? sue palka live in the weather center with some answers. >> here's some good news. we are going to get another great comfortable night out of it. did you know that we actually broke some records -- record low temperatures overnight. dulles dropped to 53 degrees. even up at bwi it w

. >> that individual had been confrontational with mr. barry in the past. >> -- >> as for the events leading up to the rest, his lawyer confirmed the councilman spent much of his july 4 with the accuser. they had planned to go to rehoboth beach. the returned from annapolis to washington. there were reports saying they were talking about a possible reconciliation. >> the charge stems from a personal relationship. >> no one at the woman's house wanted to talk to not -- tonight. >> i saw them together. >> on thursday marion barry and their attorney will be in court. they will hear of any charges that may move forward. the lawyer said they have a strong case and will win if they go to trial. >>> this arrest is the latest in the problem of what has been a year of turmoil. in february, prosecutors threatened to put him in jail for failing to file his taxes. the case was resolved. at the end of february, marion barry received a kidney transplant. >>> organizers are working on the memorial for the funeral of the king of pop, michael jackson, tomorrow.

>> miss watts was about to lose her house, her car and due to instability of finding employment mr. barry did in fact to do this, primarily, not because of miss watts but because of her children. >> reporter: as far as the stalking charges go, marion barry will be in court tomorrow and he is hoping the charges will be dismissed. armando trull for 9 news now and wusa9.com. >>> scary moments for people on the southwest airlines flight heading out of bwi marshall airport. at least one bird struck the plane's engine on takeoff. the plane was able to quickly turn around and land. none of the people on board flight 9 to providence was hurt. mechanics have looking at the plane to make sure there is no damage. >>> right now president obama is in rome, italy. he's there for a grand jury-8 summit. this is video from about 90 minutes ago when president obama and the first lady arrived. right now the president is meeting with his italian counterpart. in 30 minutes he will meet with prime minister for a g-lunch. >>> the summit is on the heels of the president's trip to russia. he met with that country

mr. barry's, told her how to spend the mean, it puts a cloud over the funds. >> reporter: a. scott bolden, an attorney representing brenda richardson said at worse, it's a poor choice of words. >> easy to understand that miss richardson's comments, a poor choice of words, meant that that was mr. barry's feelings in regard to her poor performance and that doesn't mean he was controlling the dollars. >> reporter: bolden said his client was involved in no wrongdoing and the inspector general's investigation will ultimately clear her name. barry said he's done nothing wrong and outside of the council chambers on tuesday, he complaind about the recording saying it should never have been made. >> nobody in the meeting consented, and misswise aught to be prosecuted -- mess wise aught to be prosecuted for doing something illegal. >> reporter: no one is -- for making the recording. sources say that eric go lay made the statement about the tape out of concern that barry's office was involved in the day-to-day decision making on grant activity, not because it was illegal, because it rai

mr. barry attended the meeting, which sources say was to discuss the need for an independent law firm to look into the 60,000 of the contract awarded to donna watts-brighthaupt. also on the table was whether ethics regulations should be put in place for the district's governing body. >> i do not need something written down to tell me to behave honorably. them he is under fire for allegedly using public funds to hire his former girlfriend. council members have been hesitant to weigh in on the matter and on the beat today began making comments on the latest scandal. >> it has been very distracting for councilmember barry and for everyone who works with him. for the rest of us, it is embarrassing. >> right now, people like trying to keep their jobs. this is a distraction. >> reporters were kept out of the meeting, being told it was only a chitchat. the police exported media from chairman gray's office with no reason given as to why the meeting was closed. at a late afternoon press conference, coun

at lot of ways, and they have resulted in, well, one party to that relationship, striking out at mr. barry. >> barry, he's scheduled for the court hearing on the stalking charge on thursday. and now, he declined to speak at today's news conference on the advice of his lawyer. >>> and starting today, the district, they began recognizing same-sex marriages, performed in other states. and the attorneys are still trying to get that law overturned. they are the lone council member to vote against the measure earlier this year. traffic is back to the usual rush hour mania on i-95. a couple hours ago, this, some trouble, off the southbound lanes, just north of already go -- largo. running off the road and hit the trees in the median and flipped. that crash threw three people out of the van. first responders rushed the three and five others to the hospital. but now, here's the good news, none of the injuries appear to be life threatening. > ke a good look at your screen. pothli, beceey lieve that the same to men forced their way inside thremehoeys this morng, all in the saa.me e a re district in h

the council grant money and her orders came from mr. barry>> reporter: barry says catania is out to get him because openly gay at large councilmember didn't like husband vote on same-sex marriage. barry also says there is nothing wrong with oversight on grants from his office. >> my office officially is the liaison to make sure there is accountability. they don'tmake any decisions about personnel. the project directors are hired by the board of trucker. >> reporter: sharon wise says her signatures were forged on documents she never approved. sources close to wise say she has been contacted by the f.b.i. i'm paul wagner. >>> meantime, marion barry's opening up about having his he can-girlfriend on the payroll. that was a relationship revealed after that park police stop on the 4th of july. we'll share those details coming up at 7:00. >>> there was hope it would ready in just a few short months. now, there is word the swine flu vaccine might not be ready until the end of the year. >>> a local neighborhood with a negative reputation is making po

. >> the arrest of mr. barry should have never taken place. the false allegations against mr. barry should have never been made. >> reporter: barry had awarded watts a $60,000 contract to head a leadership program in ward 8, a decision that the d.c. attorney general tells "the washington post" he wants investigated. but barry defends. >> miss watts at the time was qualified for the position and went through the proper channels in order to be awarded for that contract. >> reporter: the "post" reports on july 4th, watts and barry got into a disagreement at her home and he thenollowed her and her ex-husband when they went to watch fireworks. >> i said he's bothering me, make sure he goes home. you know? i thought it was d.c. police because he gets away. they just let him go. i wasn't thinking that i was going to settle. that's my fault. i was thinking the worst. >> reporter: now this is far from over because that $60,000 contract that council member barry awarded to watts is what's now got a lot of attention. tracee wilkins outside of the d.c. courthouse. back to you. >>> as tracy

mr. barry's office. so, yes, certainly those are questions that we would want to address. >> reporter: according to records provided by the council, donna watts brighthaupt was hired as an independent contractor last october. she would be paid $5,000 a month for work on poverty reduction strategies. in december, barry terminated the deal without explanation. it was later reinstated. vincent gray says he not only wants to know more about the contract, he wants a code of conduct established for all members of the council. >> current members of t council have to embrace this and no doubt they will have ideas and suggestions themself. that would be my expectation, i hope, would be at the end of the year we have a 13-0 vote. >> reporter: as it stands now, there is no code of ethics for council members. vincent gray is awaiting a paper due tomorrow on the framework of ethical best practices. it's his hope to have a code of conduct in place by september. a code that contains solid policy on what is proper, guid

mr. barry has said that he has every intention on elevating these concerns. >> reporter: barry was arrested on july 4th in anacostia park by the park police who was flagged down by his ex-girl friend 40-year-old donna watts. tonight she clarified what she told police. >> i said he's bothering me. make sure he goes home. he wanted my attention and he made a bad move and this is how it stemmed. i really wish he would have talked to me as soon as he got out. this would have been over. >> reporter: new questions were also raised after it was learned that watts seen here in pink with barry leaving a recent court appearance was awarded a contract to work for barry. tonight his office defended her work. >> we have in our possession e- mails which state that this job has been done and the hours that it was taken. we have in our possession the amount that she was paid already. >> reporter: it was all part of the nasty public dispute that has left them both scarred. watts is worried she will never work a

horribly wrong in a lot of ways and has resulted in one party to the relationship striking out at mr. barry and repaying him for some of his kindness, some of it effort to be of assistance to that individual by offering up these charges, which we believe to be false. >> reporter: now the plaintiff donna watts released a statement this morning. she admits -- she went on to say -- once prosecutors conclude their findings and substantiate their charge i can only hope the consequences are just. some slight contradictions in that statement. as for barry he will be in court on thursday. that's when we will find out if prosecutors will file charges. more on this story at 9:00 news now at 5:00, 6:00 and seven. back to you. >> thank you very much. >>> moving to other news, earlier this year, council member marion barry was the only could be council member to vote against the bill calling for dc to recognize same-sex marriages. congress could have blocked the measure but let the deadline pass. so, starting today, the district will begin to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. oppon

. >> the perception would have the residents of the district of columbia believe that mr. barry has been an aggressive pursuer. >> the accuser said she never asked for him to be arrested. she does say barry had followed her and her exhusband in her car. barry didn't answer his door sunday. but on the streets of d.c., many voters want to know more. >> he's innocent until proven guilty. >> why would he harass his friend? it doesn't add up. >> barry spokesman says he was helping his accuser in many ways from finances, to health issues. he has said that she was following him but he was trying to g home. we'll hear a lot more about this tomorrow. that in northwest washington. >> thank you, rich. here are more details on tonight's top story. it is not the first time he has been in trouble with the law. in 1909, he was caught smoking crack in a hotel room in an f.b.i. sting. he served six months in prison and was reelected as mayor in 1994. in 2006 he was sentenced to probation for failing to file his tax returns. president obama heads to russia and will meet with two of that country's

mr. tae barry. mr. tea barry votes no. ms. brown-waite, votes no. mr. davis of kentucky. mr. davis of kentucky votes absolutely no. mr. reichert. mr. reichert votes no. mr. bustany, votes no. mr. heller. mr. heller votes no. mr. roskam, votes no. mr. chairman? >> absolutely yes. >> mr. chairman votes absolutely yes >> 23 yeas, 18 nays. >> members, the bill is passed, all members have two days to file any additional materials for the record and without objection, staff is authorized to make any technical corrections, and the committee stands adjourned and, once again, thank you so much. >> charlie, congratulations. >> thank you. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]. >> an update on the progress of health care legislation, in congress. here's a capitol hill reporter with more. >> jilly rob ner of national public radio, lots of action this week on capitol hill regarding health care legislation and let's start with what happened in the house this week. >> it has been a busy week and first the house unveiled its bill and that in itself was