Marion Barry, the former crack-smoking mayor of Washington D.C. and current district councilman, verbally abused a female reporter asking him about unpaid parking tickets, claiming she “doesn’t know a damn thing about Washington D.C.”
Last month, rumors began circulating that Barry owed thousands of dollars in unpaid parking tickets to the notoriously-crowded city. That number, according to DMV documents, was eventually calculated as a staggering $2,824 in penalties.
Local media first began digging into the story in July, and Fox 5 reporter Emily Miller decided to personally question the councilman about the tickets on July 14.
He didn’t take it well.
“How long you been at Fox 5?” he asked. “In this town, we decide what’s important, what’s not important, at the station and the community. And with all the stuff going on, you talking about parking tickets? That’s ridiculous.”
“But you have $600 in outstanding parking tickets,” Miller said.
“I may have more than that, I dunno,” Barry said dismissively.
“Well, these are from 2012 and 2013,” she continued. “I can show them to you …”
“I don’t wanna see those,” he snarled. “Why don’t you go find something else to do. Get some NEWS.”
“There are more things to do,” he continued angrily. “Learn! You’ve just been here since April. You don’t know a DAMN thing about Washington D.C.”
“Really?” Miller retorted. “I don’t know a damn thing about Washington D.C. because you won’t pay your parking tickets.”
“Oh, you full of shit,” Barry hit back.
Barry’s car was impounded after an Aug. 2 accident, and would not be released until he paid the proper parking penalties. The former mayor finally shelled out the cash on Aug. 5 — though he managed to pay less than $,1000 than he originally owed.
WATCH (video via Fox 5):
