Fall from Grace

Disgraced former Councilman Oliver Thomas was sentenced yesterday for his admitted bribery. He got 37 months in prison, the maximum recommended sentence given the nature of the crime and his criminal history. This is a pathetic end to a promising career. As Judge Sarah Vance observed during sentencing, Mr. Thomas was well regarded and, by most accounts, slated to be future mayor of the City. Despite his professed love for the City and supposed desire to help people, Mr. Thomas could only help himself to a heaping serving of greed. When it came time to cooperate with the government -- which he promised to do as part of a plea deal -- he turned his back on the City and refused to talk. (There's speculation that Thomas chose silence out of loyalty to former Mayor Marc Morial, who has a prosecutor's target of his own on his back.) Just when we thought a disgraced politician was going to come clean, we got more of the same.