Democrat Mayor Gilliam of A.C. Resigns, Pleads Guilty To Stealing $87K From Youth Basketball Club

CNN reported on the story, but Twitter users were quick to point out that they refused to mention that Frank Gilliam Jr. is a DEMOCRAT!

Here's that CNN story on Gillam's admission of stealing thousands from a youth basketball club:

Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam Jr. has resigned after pleading guilty to stealing about $87,000 from a local youth basketball program he co-founded. 

"Mayor Gilliam took advantage of his victims' desire to assist underprivileged children by falsely representing that the money contributed to the AC Starz Basketball Club would go to pay for school supplies or to support youth basketball," US Attorney Craig Carpenito of New Jersey said Thursday in a statement announcing the plea deal. "Instead, he spent the money on himself."

Gilliam, 49, used about $87,215 in donations made to AC Starz between 2013 and 2018 to cover personal expenses, "including luxury designer clothing, expensive meals, and personal trips to various locations," federal court documents show. 

Gilliam submitted his resignation and issued an apology Thursday in a letter filed with the Atlantic City clerk's office.

Politico also said:

Facing pressure from the governor and a legal challenge by the state attorney general, Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam Jr. resigned his position on Thursday, stepping down just hours after pleading guilty to one count of federal wire fraud.

In a letter to City Clerk Paula Geletei, Gilliam said it was with “a heavy heart that I tender my resignation as the Mayor of the City of Atlantic City.”

    

 

“I would like to apologize to the residents of the great City of Atlantic City who deserve stability and respect,” Gilliam, a Democrat, wrote. “My sincere apologies to each constituent that voted for me and had high hopes in my tenure.”

City Council President Marty Small is expected to be sworn in as acting mayor at noon Friday. A process involving other City Council members and the local Democratic organization will lead to the selection of a long-term replacement. 

Gilliam, 49, who took office last year, admitted in federal court Thursday morning that he stole more than $87,000 from a nonprofit youth basketball league. 

The mayor entered his guilty plea in U.S. District Court in Camden, confessing to an information statement in which prosecutors accused him of siphoning donations intended to support the AC Starz basketball league or provide school supplies to underprivileged children. 

Gilliam, the information says, used much of the proceeds for his own personal benefit, dropping cash on luxury clothing, pricey meals and trips.