Peter Nickles, DC Government Photo

District Attorney General Peter Nickles is cracking down on delinquent landlords, recently forcing fixes at at Southeast apartment complex. Freeman Klopott reports in the Washington Examiner today that Nickles stepped in to get fixes moving for the 1,500 residents of the Marbury Plaza apartment complex. Nickles got involved after hearing many complaints about lack of air conditioning and other dangers, all while the management company had a $5 million loan for renovations.

“If they screw around on this, they can expect trouble from me,” Nickles told The Washington Examiner, referring to the landlord. “I’m not a bashful guy, and I will come down hard.”

The attorney general is often described by critics as being a ‘crony’ of Mayor Fenty, serving the needs of the mayor’s political career rather than District residents. Could this move be a way to bolster his own image, as well as Fenty’s? Probably, there’s less than two months until the primary and this is some good P.R. for Nickles. To be sure, Nickles says he may get involved in more cases similar to this.

Dave Stroup

Dave has been following DC news and politics for nearly eight years and previous authored the blog “Why I Hate DC.” Dave tries to give a voice to those frustrated by the “politics as usual” in the area. By day he works in the technology department of a non-profit, by night he writes about news and politics and works at a local hardware store. Dave is also a contributor for Greater Greater Washington. You can follow him on Twitter or read his personal blog.