Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg publicly calls on embattled councilmember Sean Loloee to resign
SACRAMENTO – For the first time publicly, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg is calling on Councilmember Sean Loloee to resign from his position.
Steinberg said in a statement on Thursday that he's been conversing with the embattled councilmember since Loloee was indicted by a federal grand jury earlier in December.
"I have asked him repeatedly to resign and have not made my request public to give him the space to do the right thing," Steinberg said.
Councilmember Loloee has refused to resign, Steinberg stated, prompting the mayor to publicly call him out.
In his own statement, released after Steinberg's was released Thursday, Loloee remained defiant and reiterated that he wouldn't resign.
"The recent challenges that have played out in the media are a misrepresentation of who I am and how I run my business and I vehemently deny any charges. I look forward to my day in court, where the truth can be heard," Loloee wrote.
The indictment named Loloee and another person, Karla Montoya, as defendants being charged with conspiracy, obstruction of agency proceedings, and possession and use of false immigration documents.
As CBS13 previously reported, federal agents raided one of Loloee's Viva Supermarkets back in October.
Sacramento City Councilmember Karina Talamantes said in a statement late Thursday afternoon that the mayor is working closely with the city attorney to determine the council's next course of action.
"This situation is diverting attention from the City of Sacramento's essential matters, and the residents deserve better," Talamantes said.
