Former Prince George’s County Councilmember Mel Franklin pled guilty on Aug. 26 to two charges for using over $130,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses, 10 days after Council Chair Jolene Ivey (D-District 5) was officially declared the Democratic nominee for the seat he previously held.
Franklin was said to use the funds for international vacations and cosmetic surgery, along with falsifying campaign finance records.
Franklin now owes $133,000 in restitution to his campaign fund, which will be donated to charity, and he agreed to a sentence of one year in prison. He will be officially sentenced on Nov. 13.
“Elected officials should be held accountable if they violate the public trust and exploit the Maryland electoral process for personal financial gain,” said Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard, III. “I’m proud of our office’s hard work in uncovering this extensive fraud.”
Ivey received 29,578 votes, roughly 47.5% of the vote, in the special election held on Aug. 6 to replace Franklin. She is widely expected to win the general election, given the strong Democratic lean of Prince George’s voters.
The roughly 63,000 votes in the special election exceeded the roughly 54,000 votes in May’s presidential primary.
Michael Riker, a retired police officer from Cheltenham, received nearly half the vote in the Republican primary for the at-large seat and will be on the special general election ballot.
The special general election will be held on Nov. 5, the same day as the general election for the presidential, congressional, and Board of Education races.
Campaigning Begins for Soon-Vacant District Five Seat
Now, moves are being made and candidates are expressing interest in running for Ivey’s soon-to-be vacant seat.
The race for District 5 has drawn several candidates and serious endorsements, despite the race not having a known election date as of yet. Assuming the same 45 day timeline as the first special election, the election date would likely be in late December or early January.
Ryan Middleton, who was elected to serve as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention (DNC), was among the first candidates to announce.
He has begun doorknocking in the Glenn Dale area of the district and received endorsements from Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, State Senators Joanne Benson (D- District 24) and Ron Watson (D- District 23), and County Councilmembers Calvin Hawkins (D- At Large) and Wanika Fisher (D- District 2).
Alsobrooks cited Middleton as “having the vision and ability to move [Prince George’s] County forward.”
Delegate Jazz Lewis, (D- District 24), who also served as a DNC delegate, is another politician to have expressed support for Middleton.
“I have known Ryan for years, and in that time, he has shown his dedication to our county and his ability to get work done on behalf of every resident who calls Prince George’s County their home,” Lewis said in his endorsement. “Throughout his career, he has shown unwavering commitment to the issues that matter most. From public safety, to education and economic growth, he is ready to make the change that we need to see and to make county government more effective and help Prince George’s County reach its full potential.”
Another candidate, Cheverly Mayor Kayce Munyeneh, has been endorsed by Capitol Heights Mayor Linda Monroe, Upper Marlboro Commissioner Charles Colbert, and Riverdale Park Councilmember Ifiok Inyang.
“Mayor Kayce has delivered on her promises, strengthened our tax base, and protected our environment,” said Natalie Pierre-Louis, a Cheverly resident, in a video to gather petition support for Munyeneh.
Some other people who have expressed interest in the District 5 seat include former County Council staffer Kendal Gray, small business owner LaTasha Ward, and Maryland Longitudinal Data System Center appointee Rudy D. Anthony.