Tiawana Brown says she won’t resign. What do state, local rules say on indictment?
Charlotte City Council member Tiawana Brown says she has no plans to leave public office while under indictment on federal charges, and state law doesn’t appear to require her to.
Brown and her two adult daughters face charges of wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud used to falsely obtain pandemic relief loans, according to an indictment in federal district court and a Thursday news release from Charlotte’s U.S. attorney.
At a press conference about the indictment, Brown told reporters the charges are politically motivated and said she won’t resign from City Council.
“Why would I resign? I haven’t been convicted of anything. I was elected for the people, by the people. The people would have to remove me out of the seat,” the District 3 Democrat said.
Brown, first elected in 2023, also said she’ll run for a second term later this year. Every seat on the council is up for election this November, with primaries scheduled for September. Candidate filing officially begins in July.
Brown is eligible to run for office “until convicted of a felony,” Mecklenburg County Board of Elections spokeswoman Kristin Mavromatis told The Charlotte Observer. Mavromatis said she’s also unaware of any state laws or policies that would force Brown to resign if under indictment or convicted.
Indictments do not prove guilt, and Brown has not been convicted of any crime related to the charges announced Thursday.
A Charlotte Observer review of the city code and City Council’s rules of procedure did not find any provisions requiring a council member facing charges or convicted to resign. The city did not immediately respond to questions about city policy for indicted officials.
Then-Mayor Patrick Cannon resigned in 2014 he was arrested for taking bribes from FBI agents posing as Charlotte business owners. He later pleaded guilty to public corruption charges.
The city’s statement on the indictment directed any questions about the matter to Brown and her personal attorney.
“By Ms. Brown’s own statement, any alleged activities predate her involvement with Charlotte City Council,” spokesman Lawrence Corley said. “Furthermore, the city has not been contacted by the US Attorney’s Office, Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City of Charlotte is not being investigated pertaining to this or her role as a council member.”
Charlotte City Council member Malcolm Graham said on social media Thursday afternoon he trusts Brown will “make decisions that are in her best interest and in the best interest of the City of Charlotte.”
Council member Ed Driggs told the Observer he “cannot comment on a situation that is currently under legal review” but that the City Council’s work “will continue unabated.”
No other council members posted publicly about Brown’s indictment as of Friday morning, and multiple council members did not respond to the Observer’s request for comment.
What’s in the Tiawana Brown indictment?
The indictment alleges Brown and her daughters in 2020 falsified loan applications for pandemic-era federal aid and spent loan proceeds on personal expenses, including a birthday party for Brown. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. attorney’s statement.
Brown said in a statement on the indictment she “trust(s) in the legal process” and is “confident that the truth will come to light.”
At her Thursday press conference, Brown said she paid back more than $20,000 in loan money months ago after learning her applications were under scrutiny and questioned why others accused of misuse of COVID relief money instead faced civil charges.
“If it’s about justice and I paid it back, why are we here?” she said.
Brown served four years in federal prison in her 20s on felony fraud charges, and she was the first formerly incarcerated person elected to the Charlotte City Council.
Observer reporters Julia Coin and Nora O’Neill contributed.
This story was originally published May 23, 2025 at 8:42 AM.
