It’s a political scandal of a level that hasn’t been seen in Charlotte since, well, maybe ever. Of course, there was the General Patraeus scandal, but that was just sex, not dirty money, and it wasn’t actually Charlotte politics. This time, we’re looking at charges of corruption that have catapulted our city, and our now former mayor, into the national spotlight. But does his resignation equal guilt in your eyes?
Around 7:30pm Wednesday, Mayor Cannon resigned the office of Charlotte Mayor. Officially, it’s because the situation is a distraction. The mayor is out on bail after being arrested by the FBI, after a four-year investigation during which agents say he accepted cash and other gifts in exchange for pushing through a bogus nighclub development project. And not just once, but five times.
Of course, the basis of our legal system is that people are innocent until proven guilty. But the court of public opinion is very different. People make up their minds based on how things look all the time. And so we hit the streets to ask: does the mayor’s resignation make him look guilty?
