No formal stalking charges filed against Barry

In a written statement, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia say after analyzing the "relevant factors" including "elements of the offense and the strengths and weaknesses of the evidence," they have decided not to pursue charges.

The current D.C. Councilmember was scheduled to appear in D.C. Superior Court Thursday to learn whether formal charges will be filed in his stalking case.

When approached for comment by WTOP's Mark Segraves, Barry said, "You know I can't talk. My lawyer said I can't talk." Barry referred all questions to his spokesperson.

Natalie Williams, a spokesperson for Barry, said Barry is "...grateful that 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 events."

Meanwhile, recently-leaked tape recordings between Barry and his ex-girlfriend are shedding new light on the relationship between the D.C. Councilmember and the woman he's accused of stalking.

In the days before Barry, 73, was arrested for stalking his former girlfriend, 40-year-old Donna Watts, he left several voicemails for her pleading with her to accept his apology for having her ex-husband banned from an event at the Wilson Building.

"Only thing I'm doing is helping you with your life, I enhance your life and you compare me with someone who destroy your life and continuing to destroy your life, this very moment is destroying your life," Barry says.

The tapes, which were voicemails recorded from June 30 to July 4, were obtained by the Washington City Paper. (Click here to listen to the tapes.)

In one recording of a conversation between Barry and Watts, Watts complained that Barry threw her out of a Denver hotel room for refusing to perform oral sex.

Watts also compares their relationship to Tina and Ike Turner, saying Barry doesn't "think about other people's time" and calls him "inconsiderate."

In another message, Barry tells Watts, "you don't have to answer your home phone, but let me just say that I'm addicted to you."

"Don't call me back. I will not take a call from you. I'm not gonna call you so this is it. Don't call me back. I was trying to be amicable about it if we could. It's not right for us to have gone through all this whatever I do apologize to you it and I'm not asking you to apologize to me. I'm just gonna end it. I like to end it amicably like I done most of my relationships and you've done most of yours. So don't call me and you won't hear from me. Simple as that," Barry says.

"Any consensual, sexual relationship that Mr. Barry and Ms. Watts had is a personal and private matter between two adults. If Ms. Watts felt at all threatened by Mr. Barry she should have addressed it at that time," Williams says in a written statement.

"The content of these tapes have absolutely nothing to do with the arrest of Mr. Barry on July 4th and under no circumstances incriminates Mr. Barry of any crime. Instead, the release of the tapes does nothing more than show the true mindset and character of his accuser."

On Tuesday night, Barry confirmed that he awarded a $60,000 contract to Watts because she was experiencing financial difficulties.

Michelle Basch asked Williams whether Watts did any work for the salary.

"We have in our possession her contract, we have in our possession her responsibilities, we have in our possession her deliverables, we have in our possession e-mails that state the job has been done and the hours that it was taken, and we have in our possession the amount she was paid already, and the amount she was to be paid," Williams said Wednesday night.

Barry was arrested Saturday by U.S. Park Police for allegedly stalking Watts in Anacostia Park. Barry's lawyer, Frederick Cooke, has said the two were on their way to Rehoboth Beach for the Fourth of July weekend, when Watts changed her mind while having lunch in Annapolis.

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