FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Monday night, the Falls Church City Council met for the first time since Caroline Lian resigned.
Lian's resignation came less than a week after a Board of Ethics and Government Accountability probe.
That investigation unveiled that Lian was juggling multiple jobs, but had not disclosed them properly
The report says that Lian started working at DC's Department of Buildings in October 2022 as its chief operations officer — a position for which she was paid $149,750 per year. One year later, Lian was promoted to deputy director, which included a raise; her promoted salary was $175,000 per year. In Lian’s position, she typically worked in-office Monday and Friday and from home Tuesday through Thursday.
According to the report, Lian was also working for Freddie Mac. There, she was employed as a third-party risk management director, earned a six-figure salary and worked from home Monday and Friday, but reported to the office Tuesday through Thursday.
In addition to both of those jobs, she was also a member of the Falls Church City Council, where she earned $9,200. She was elected to serve four years from 2022 to 2025.
The issue is, she didn't disclose the money she made from Freddie Mac, and also attended at least 10 city council meetings, while still on the clock with the DOB, according to the report.
The ethics board determined that Lian had violated the code of conduct in four ways, and she was fined $25,000.
However, it doesn't end there.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for the City of Falls Church issued the following statement:
“Ms. Lian’s council resignation follows an article in the Washington Post published August 7, describing a finding by the District of Columbia’s Board of Ethics and Government Accountability Office that Ms. Lian had not properly reported outside employment, resulting in her resignation from the District. The Post article prompted the City to review Ms. Lian’s most recent annual Financial Disclosure, known as “Virginia State and Local Statement of Economic Interests.” Upon review, the City discovered that the former council member listed only Freddie Mac as her employer and did not disclose her employment relationship with the District of Columbia. Following procedures set forth by state code, the City has relayed this information to the Commonwealth’s Attorney for investigation,” said Mary Catherine Chase, spokesperson for the City of Falls Church."
On Monday, the Falls Church City Councilmembers were given five options on how to move forward.
- Leave the Seat Vacant for the Remainder of the Term
- Appointment by City Council
- Petition the Court to allow a Special Election on November 5, 2024
- Petition the Court for a Special Election on a special date after November 5, 2024.
- Petition the Court for a Special Election to occur after November 5, 2024 and appoint a person to fill the seat until the winner of the Special Election is seated.
For about 90 minutes, the councilmembers discussed the different options, and the pros and cons of each one.
Just before 11 p.m., the council voted 4-2 to move forward with option 3, but with some amendments.
They voted to petition the court for a special election on Nov. 5, 2024. However, if they don't receive a decision from the court by Friday, Aug. 16, they plan to have a meeting on Monday, August 19, to begin the process of appointing a council member.
To read more about the processes of each option, click here.