North Charleston, South Carolina. Mike A. Brown, one of three North Charleston city council members arrested in a federal corruption investigation earlier this year, announced Thursday that he will resign.
“Tomorrow I will officially resign from North Charleston City Council,” Brown wrote in an Oct. 16 Facebook post using the pseudonym Mike London. “It was a tough decision to make, but I’m in the middle of a battle that I can’t win.”
Brown was one of eight people charged in February after a year-long public corruption probe turned up various schemes involving bribes, kickbacks, extortion, and money laundering. He pled not guilty in March to three counts of conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud.
According to federal court records, Brown’s trial is planned for the first week of November.
Brown, who represented District 1, has been suspended from his office since the indictment was issued on February 26 by Gov. Henry McMaster.
“It was a pleasure serving the citizens of North Charleston,” Brown wrote in his post. “I will always be proud of what we were able to do and accomplish for the community. I may be done with politics, but community service remains in my heart and will continue. Please keep me in your prayers as I traverse the next steps.”
Two other former council members, Jerome Heyward and Sandino Moses, pled guilty to their participation in the public corruption investigation. Both resigned immediately and were replaced in a May special election.
