‘I did not lie to the FBI’: Colorado Springs mayor addresses allegations against him
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Mayor Yemi Mobolade took to Facebook to denounce recent allegations against him.
Last month, a report emerged from a media outlet alleging he lied to the FBI after an alleged hate crime hoax.
Three people were arrested after they allegedly staged a hate crime, presumably to influence the mayoral election in Mobolade's favor.
Court documents show Mobolade communicated with one of the people arrested prior to the alleged hoax.
"I had no knowledge, warning, or involvement in this crime," said Mobolade on Friday.
The story really heated up recently when the conservative media outlet, The Daily Wire, cited an anonymous FBI source, claiming that the mayor lied to agents investigating the alleged hoax; claims that KRDO13 is still trying to verify.
Now, Mayor Mobolade has addressed those allegations directly saying, point blank, "I did not lie to the FBI."
"Because I respect the judicial process, and this remains an active case, I have intentionally not engaged with the gossip and fallen into political rhetoric," said Mobolade in a Facebook livestream on Friday. "I have also been seeking legal counsel so that I don't unintentionally jeopardize the prosecution."
Mayor Mobolade concluded his livestream with a shaky voice, presumably emotionally, saying "Happy holidays and may God bless you all. God bless the great city of Colorado Springs. And may God bless these United States of America."
On Friday, elected officials who previously had called out the Mayor for not directly addressing the claims of lying to the FBI, shared reactions to the Mayor's statements.
El Paso County Commissioner Longinos Gonzalez stating this over email:
"I appreciate the mayor finally addressing the public’s concern of whether he lied to the FBI as alleged in the Daily Wire article. His statement that he did not lie to the FBI is welcome - it’s what the public demanded, and helps rebuild needed credibility to the mayor’s office which was unfortunately damaged by his waiting over two weeks to personally address.
However, I don’t appreciate his statement implying that requests for him to address the controversy were “politically motivated attacks” or a threat to his safety for simply asking him to publicly deny the allegations. His unwillingness to directly address the Daily Wire article for over two weeks is what allowed rumors to grow and brought the increased scrutiny and negative publicity upon himself.
Our communities are stronger when we are willing to hold our government and officials to the highest standards of transparency and accountability, and I’m proud to have done that on behalf of our residents and our great city by asking the mayor to directly address the public’s concern."
In addition, Colorado Springs City Councilman Dave Donelson, who was the first to call out the Mayor in a work session in the city chambers on Monday, Nov. 25, texted a statement to KRDO13 Investigates, as we was out of state dealing with family matters.
"I have listened to the Mayor's statement once. I appreciate that the Mayor has directly stated that he did not lie to the FBI. However, it sounds like he continues to claim he is the victim of a "hate crime".
No hate crime was committed. It was a HOAX - and the hoax was committed to benefit him."
