WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia’s embattled chief financial officer is refusing to answer questions about a federal investigation of the district’s lottery contract, the firing of his former chief procurement officer and changes made to a report that was highly critical of a councilmember.

Through his attorney, CFO Natwar Gandhi repeatedly declined to answer questions at a D.C. Council hearing Thursday because of pending legal matters. Councilmember Jack Evans says he may use his committee’s subpoena power to compel Gandhi and his staff to testify.

Evans says the lottery contract remains problematic and that questions about it aren’t going to go away. He says he hopes federal investigators will get to the bottom of it.

The CFO’s office is also the subject of a Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry.

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