Former Maryland Councilman Pleads Guilty to Campaign Finance Charges

The former Prince George’s County Councilman allegedly used more than $133,000 from his campaign account ‘for his personal use or benefit,’ the indictment said.
Former Maryland Councilman Pleads Guilty to Campaign Finance Charges
Then-Prince George's County Council Member Mel Franklin during a tour of a COVID-19 vaccination site at First Baptist Church of Highland Park in Landover, Md., on March 18, 2021. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Arjun Singh
Updated:
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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.
Arjun Singh
Arjun Singh
Author
Arjun Singh is a reporter for The Epoch Times, covering national politics and the U.S. Congress.
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