Jamel “Mel” Franklin, a former member of the Prince George’s County Council in Maryland, pled guilty on Aug. 26 to campaign finance and perjury charges, according to an announcement by prosecutors.
Franklin, who previously served as chair of the council and resigned shortly after his indictment in June, was accused of embezzling $133,168.67 from his campaign and putting it in his personal bank account to pay for “personal loans and credit card debt, his personal rent, personal subscriptions, and cosmetic procedures for him and a close friend,” after which he allegedly falsified information on the expenses with the State Board of Elections.
