Less than six months on the job, the mayor of Charlotte was arrested and accused Wednesday of accepting more than $48,000 in bribes from FBI agents posing as real estate developers who wanted to do business with North Carolina’s largest city.
Mayor Patrick Cannon, a 47-year-old Democrat, faces theft and bribery charges, U.S. Attorney Anne Tompkins said. Cannon was accused of soliciting and accepting more than $48,000 in cash, airline tickets, a hotel room and the use of a luxury apartment as bribes.
If convicted on all the charges, he faces 20 years in prison and more than $1 million in fines.
Cannon, a radio host and the owner of a parking management company, was elected mayor in November, replacing Anthony Foxx, who was named Transportation Secretary by President Barack Obama.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/charlotte-nc-mayor-facing-corruption-charges-23069100
Cannon was also accused of accepting $12,500 from an undercover agent to help him develop a feminine hygiene product called “Hers” to be marketed and sold in the United States. In exchange, Cannon offered to help the undercover agent — posing as a business manager for a venture capital company — get the necessary permits to open a nightclub.
During the meeting, an undercover agent told Cannon: “You know, again whatever you can do to get our application moved up towards the top, uh, business license and things like that, that we need.”
According to the complaint, Cannon responded: “Yeah, not a problem.”
Cannon later had a discussion with the undercover agent, apparently attempting to clarify to the mayor that the money was strictly seed money for the “Hers” product and not payment for his help in opening the nightclub. Cannon ended the conversation by saying he looked good “in an orange necktie, but not an orange suit,” according to the complaint.
When the agent set up two later meetings to discuss the money and give Cannon an opportunity to return it, Cannon failed to show up, the complaint said.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/charlotte-nc-mayor-facing-corruption-charges-23069100