Bowser introduced this week that she fired the interim director of her administration’s Workplace of Coverage and Legislative Affairs (OPLA) after he introduced he took a brand new job with the mother or father firm of one of many three insurers simply awarded a profitable Medicaid contract. Bowser (D) referred him to the town’s ethics board and inspector normal.

Bryan Hum was promoted in February to the function on the company, which is tasked with coverage evaluation and growing Bowser’s legislative agenda. Bowser on Tuesday indicated that Hum had labored on the contracts however mentioned he was not concerned in negotiations or deciding on them.

In an Oct. 23 letter to the town’s Board of Ethics and Authorities Accountability in addition to D.C. Inspector Normal Daniel W. Lucas, Bowser mentioned Hum had given his two-week discover to the town two days earlier, saying he could be becoming a member of Elevance Well being, the mother or father firm of Amerigroup. Earlier that week, the D.C. Council voted to award the town’s Medicaid contracts to Amerigroup, MedStar and AmeriHealth after a contentious, years-long procurement course of.

Tony Felts, a spokesman for Amerigroup, mentioned Hum utilized for the job in response to a public job posting in August — after D.C.’s Workplace of Contracting and Procurement had already made its choice on awarding the Medicaid contracts, although the contracts had not but come earlier than the council for approval.

The town’s ethics guidelines limit officers from acquiring future employment that overlaps with their tasks in authorities; two years in the past, for instance, a high-level Bowser appointee was fined $2,500 for taking a job at Howard College after negotiating a tax break for the varsity in his metropolis place.

Bowser mentioned Hum didn’t recuse himself from any work associated to the Medicaid contracts earlier than asserting his new place.

“Whereas he’s not a procurement official engaged within the analysis or negotiation of contracts, Mr. Hum, in the midst of his duties in transmitting and shepherding contracts to and thru the Council, could also be aware about private info,” Bowser wrote, whereas referring the matter to the companies.

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Hum started working within the Bowser administration in 2018 and held varied roles with OPLA earlier than he was named interim director. He didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Wednesday.

CareFirst, an insurance coverage firm that misplaced its bid to win one of many Medicaid contracts after lobbying the D.C. Council and promoting on social media in an try to influence council members that Amerigroup was unsuitable, despatched an announcement to The Washington Submit on Wednesday saying that the contracts mustn’t transfer ahead in mild of the request for an investigation into Hum’s conduct.

“We admire Mayor Bowser’s name for an investigation by the Inspector Normal and urge the District to halt the contracting course of till officers and the general public have a full understanding of the extent of Mr. Hum’s involvement within the procurement and approval of those contracts,” CareFirst spokeswoman Jen Presswood wrote.

Bowser’s spokesperson declined to touch upon the decision to halt the procurement.

At a information convention Tuesday, Bowser mentioned she “received’t tolerate individuals who don’t observe ethics guidelines, even upon their exit.”

“Individuals can go onto different jobs, however that’s why we now have [the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability] — you possibly can name BEGA and get recommendation on how it is best to proceed,” Bowser mentioned. “Nevertheless it ought to be apparent to everybody which you can’t be engaged on one matter whereas on the similar time accepting an employment provide — particularly regarding a contract that you’ve got labored on.”