Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon, who has been in office less than six months, resigned Wednesday, just hours after he was arrested and accused of taking more than $48,000 in bribes from undercover FBI agents posing as businessmen who wanted to do work with North Carolina's largest city, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Cannon submitted his resignation letter to city manager Ron Carlee and city attorney Bob Hagemann, Charlotte spokesman Keith Richardson said in an email, the WSJ reported.
The 47-year-old Cannon is charged with bribery and public corruption, according to the WSJ. The Democrat took cash, airline tickets, a hotel room and the use of a luxury apartment as bribes and solicited more than $1 million more, according to a criminal complaint from the U.S. Attorney's office.
Cannon said in his resignation letter that the pending charges "will create too much of a distraction" for the business of the city to go forward, the WSJ reported.
"I regret that I have to take this action, but I believe that it is in the best interest of the City for me to do so," Cannon said, according to the WSJ. Cannon had an initial court appearance Wednesday and was released on $25,000 unsecured bond.
While working with the undercover agents, Cannon touted his close relationship with Republican Governor Pat McCrory and a trip to the White House to meet with President Barack Obama and other administration officials, according to the complaint, the WSJ reported.
The complaint also said FBI agents posing as commercial real estate developers paid Cannon on five separate occasions between January 2013 and February 2014 and Cannon accepted cash in exchange for access to city officials responsible for planning, zoning and permitting, according to the WSJ.
On the last occasion, Cannon accepted $20,000 in cash in the mayor's office, the complaint said, the WSJ reported.
The investigation began in August 2010 after a tip from a local undercover officer about public corruption, according to the WSJ. If convicted on all the charges, Cannon faces up to 50 years in prison and more than $1 million in fines.
