Federally Indicted Atlanta Councilman Antonio Brown Says He Won’t Resign

An Atlanta councilman indicted on multiple federal fraud charges says he will not step down from his council seat.

Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Brown, 35, was indicted Wednesday on charges of wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud and making false statements on a bank loan application. He told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday that he planned to fight the charges and did not intend to resign.

The councilman was accused of taking out loans and making credit card purchases, including purchasing a Range Rover and Mercedes Benz C300. He then falsely claimed he was the victim of identity theft and was not responsible for the charges or repaying the loans, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

The charges related to conduct that allegedly happened before Brown was elected to the council, U.S. Attorney Byung J. Pak said in a statement.

Brown won a special runoff election in 2019 for the seat, becoming the first Black, openly LGBTQ member of the council, news outlets reported at the time.

“The people that have walked alongside me know my heart, sense of integrity & relentless passion to fight for the least of these,” Brown wrote in the tweet Thursday. “God has been preparing me for such a time as this, I’ve overcome greater, my spirit is strong & I place my faith in God’s plan.”