Hard-to-Get Concert Tickets Go to Donors, Mayor's Staffers

WASHINGTON - They're two of the toughest concert tickets to get -- Bruce Springsteen and Hannah Montana. But WTOP Radio has learned those with ties to D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty have a much better shot of seeing the shows.

Most of those invited to D.C.'s Luxury Suite at the Verizon Center by Fenty either contributed the maximum $2,000 to Fenty's campaign or worked on the campaign. The rest of the tickets, with only a few exceptions, went to friends, family and the mayor's senior staffers of the mayor.

After repeated requests over the course of four weeks, a spokesperson for Fenty was only able to provide WTOP with a partial list of those who received tickets. The person actually handing out the tickets for the mayor is Fenty's former campaign aide, John Falcicchio. Falcicchio worked on both the Fenty mayoral campaign and the Ward 4 campaign of Muriel Bowser, Fenty's hand-picked successor. Falcicchio is now working as a senior adviser to Fenty in the Executive Office of the Mayor.

According to the list provided by the Fenty administration, tickets went to the Fenty 2006 campaign manager and the treasurer, as well as dozens of volunteers and donors. The mayor's brothers and parents also received tickets.

Acting Attorney General Peter Nickels received tickets to the sold-out Springsteen show. School Chancellor Michelle Rhee is going to Hannah Montana.

City Administrator Dan Tangherlini got tickets to both concerts.

The District was given a luxury suite at the Verizon Center after putting up $50 million for improvements to the downtown arena. Verizon Center's owner Abe Pollin gave the city the suite as a way for the city to promote economic development, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

Most cities with sky suites, such as Philadelphia, use them for deserving members of the community -- something Fenty says he'll do in the future.

Fenty and City Council Chair Vince Gray have been at odds over the luxury suite, each claiming ownership. Council members want the luxury suite to be divided between the two branches of government. Fenty maintains the suite is the sole domain of the executive.

(Copyright 2007 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)