Mayor orders aides to return iPhones

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Perhaps chagrined at his staff being labeled iPhone hogs, Mayor Adrian Fenty ordered aides to return several of the much-sought-after devices to a downtown store this past weekend.

On Friday, the blog Wonkette reported that Fenty had acquired several iPhones from the AT&T retail store at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, draining the outlet's available inventory.

The blog indicated that several of the mayor's aides were buying up iPhones soon after the hyped technology went on sale. According to the blog's tipster, it wasn't long before the manager emerged and announced to a line of customers that four people from the mayor's office were inside, and "there are now only two 8 GB iPhones left, and that a lot of people in the back of the line probably aren't getting an iPhone today."

Fenty is well known for his interest in high-tech communication gadgets, carrying at least three Blackberries on him at all times. All his aides carry them as well.

"The city's technology office has been taking a look at ways that wireless technology can make the District government more efficient," the Fenty administration said in a statement Sunday. "The iPhone is one of the technologies [the city government] would like to examine, and the office purchased three devices this week for testing purposes.

Mayor Fenty had no knowledge of this purchase and was not a candidate for any of the test devices. In an effort to avoid even the appearance of impropriety and out of an abundance of caution, the devices have been returned."

Philadelphia Mayor John Street stirred controversy Friday when he was spotted waiting in line for an iPhone. Street reportedly left the line when a passerby asked him about the city's high murder rate.

mneibauer@dcexaminer.com

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