With investigation underway, Barry talks apologies

WASHINGTON - As D.C. Councilmember Marion Barry sat down for an exclusive interview with WTOP about an upcoming documentary on his life, the conversation shifted to a chapter in his life that's yet to be written: The ongoing independent investigation into his hiring of his then-girlfriend.

Barry said he apologized to the D.C. Council behind closed doors for the distraction caused by his Fourth of July stalking arrest and the scrutiny surrounding the hiring of 40-year-old Donna Watts-Brighthaupt and the $20,000 in taxpayer money she received.

"I apologized to the Council, because in every situation, in every war, there's unintended consequences."

But the former D.C. mayor said he won't be extending the apology to the public.

"I'm not going to apologize to the public, because I've done nothing to apologize for. The Park Service ought to be apologizing for illegally arresting me. If you do something, you ought to apologize. Like with the drug situation -- even though I was entrapped, I did cause embarrassment to the people, so I apologized."

After prosecutors dropped the stalking charges against Barry, Barry said he would "elevate his concern" about his treatment by the U.S. Park Police.

But his attitude has shifted since then.

"No, that's not a priority of mine. My priority is the 70,000 people of Ward 8. I may one day get around to doing something about it, but that's not my priority."

D.C. Council Chairman Vincent Gray has enlisted former federal prosecutor Robert Bennett - who was President Bill Clinton's personal attorney during the Paula Jones case - to investigate Barry.

Barry, 73, believes he'll be exonerated once the investigation is complete.

"People don't believe this, but I wouldn't hire my mother to a job she wasn't qualified to do -- and I love my mother."

The documentary, "The Nine Lives of Marion Barry," premieres Aug. 10 at 9 p.m. on HBO.

Mollie Kehoe contributed to this report.

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