Maryland mayor facing child porn charges previously said Pete Buttigieg was his mentor

The Maryland mayor charged on Thursday with 56 youngster pornography-related prices has visited the White Home a number of instances since President Biden took workplace and beforehand described Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg as his mentor. 

Faculty Park, Maryland, Mayor Patrick Wojahn resigned Wednesday night time forward of being arrested by Prince George’s County police Thursday on 40 counts of possession of kid pornography and 16 counts of distributing youngster pornography

Wojahn, a Democrat, stated in his resignation letter that he would “cooperate with regulation enforcement” and didn’t want to function a distraction.

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“Whereas this investigation doesn’t contain any official metropolis enterprise of any sort, it’s in one of the best pursuits of our neighborhood that I step apart,” he stated.

Whereas the inhabitants of Faculty Park is lower than 40,000, its proximity to Washington, D.C., has allowed Wojahn, who has been Faculty Park’s mayor since 2015, to rub elbows with a number of highly effective politicians, together with a prime Biden cupboard official, and make a number of visits to the White Home.

Based on White Home customer logs, Wojahn visited the White Home as soon as in 2021 on June 25. He would then make two extra visits in 2022 on June 15 and Sept. 13. Based on Wojahn’s Instagram and the White Home web site, Wojahn was in attendance at an occasion “Commemorating LGBTQ+ Delight Month.” Photos from his Instagram present Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg giving remarks for the occasion.

A Division of Transportation spokesperson advised Fox Information Digital the “allegations towards former Faculty Park Mayor Patrick Wojahn are extraordinarily disturbing, and we’re grateful native regulation enforcement has intervened.”

“The Secretary didn’t know the previous Mayor nicely, however did meet him quite a few instances via participation in U.S. Convention of Mayors programming, conferences and political occasions,” the spokesperson continued.

In a single Instagram submit from June 25, which included two photos, Wojahn posed for photos with Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten. The caption reads, “All the time nice to see these guys on the White Home!!”

Wojahn credited Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s “mentorship” for advancing his profession. (AP Picture/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

The opposite two White Home occasions he attended had been a “Delight Month Reception,” which included a “Signing of an Government Order on Advancing LGBTQI+ People,” and a ceremony celebrating the passage of the Inflation Discount Act.

Along with the three visits listed on the White Home web site, Wojahn made three extra visits in December 2022 and January 2023, which is not going to be launched on the White Home web site till March 30 and April 30. On Dec. 11, he posted a number of photos of the White Home inside, which included Christmas decorations and a caption that learn, “Completely satisfied holidays! Loved the chance tonight to see the gorgeous ‘We the Individuals’ vacation decorations and have fun the season!” One other submit that he was tagged in on Instagram revealed that he was on the White Home when Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act two days in a while Dec. 13.

The January 2023 go to occurred on Jan. 20 and concerned the USA Convention of Mayors, when White Home officers touted “historic funding in cities.” Wojahn’s tweet reveals a number of prime Biden administration officers, together with Biden’s senior adviser Gene Sperling.

Along with his White Home visits, he has additionally posted photos with a number of Democratic lawmakers on social media, together with then-Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, former DNC chair Tom Perez and Buttigieg, amongst others.

In a September 2020 Instagram submit, Wojahn thanked President Biden for his “management” and included an image of a Zoom name that Biden was main with the USA Convention of Mayors. In January 2022, he tweeted praise for Biden and the American Rescue Plan and claimed, “It is already been making a distinction within the lives of many individuals by enabling us to offer reduction to residents in want and help native companies.”

“And it’ll assist us to make important infrastructure investments,” he added. “This might by no means have occurred with out management from Biden.”

Wojahn can be a political mentee of Buttigieg, noting their friendship in an interview with LGBT information web site the Washington Blade.

“I truly met Mayor Pete Buttigieg shortly after I used to be elected mayor in 2015. I went to the U.S. Convention of Mayors’ Winter Assembly in D.C. in January, and he was assigned to be my buddy,” Wojahn stated.

After assembly, the 2 chatted on the cellphone usually, and Buttigieg gave Wojahn recommendations on what to anticipate forward of the mayoral convention.

The pair would meet once more in individual throughout an Obama White Home reception after the convention the place Wojahn’s husband, Dave Kolesar, would meet Chasten. Buttigieg would proceed to mentor Wojahn via the convention.

“I now serve in a management position as vice chair of metropolis livability and bicycling partially because of his mentorship,” Wojahn stated.

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Based on the Federal Election Fee web site, Wojahn has additionally donated 1000’s of {dollars} to Democratic candidates and committees, together with $200 to Biden’s 2020 marketing campaign, $500 to Raskin’s Home marketing campaign in 2016, $250 to Buttigieg’s Win the Period PAC, and over $1,000 to the Obama and Hillary Clinton campaigns.

A White Home spokesperson advised Fox Information Digital they “can not touch upon an energetic legal matter.”

“However in fact, such habits is abhorrent,” the spokesperson stated.

Fox Information’ Timothy Nerozzi contributed to this report.