Patrick Wojahn
Patrick Wojahn | |
|---|---|
 Wojahn in 2019 | |
| 13th Mayor of College Park, Maryland | |
| In office December 7, 2015 – March 2, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Andy Fellows |
| Succeeded by | Denise Mitchell (pro tempore) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Patrick Lewis Wojahn August 23, 1975 Appleton, Wisconsin, US |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Dave Kolesar (m. 2005) |
| Alma mater | University of Wisconsin (BA) Georgetown University (JD) |
Patrick Lewis Wojahn (WOH-yawn; born August 23, 1975) is a former American politician. He served for four terms as the mayor of College Park, Maryland, from 2015 to 2023, when he resigned due to charges against him of child pornography possession and distribution. He had previously served on the city council from 2007 to 2015.
Early life[edit]
Wojahn was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, on August 23, 1975[1] His father was a certified public accountant who told him as a child that he was good at arguing back at him, and that he should go to law school.[2]
Career[edit]
Upon graduating from Georgetown, Wojahn mainly worked as a lobbyist for disability and LGBTQ rights. As a board member for Equality Maryland, in 2004, he served as the plaintiff in the case Conaway v. Deane & Polyak, in an unsuccessful effort to legalize gay marriage in the state of Maryland.[3] From 2014 to 2023, he was the Director of Government Relations for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.[4]
Arrest and resignation[edit]
On February 28, 2023, the Prince's George's County Police issued a search warrant on Wojahn's house in College Park after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children alerted authorities to a Kik account with the username "skippy_md", that contained child pornography.[5] Wojahn had been linked to the account through his official government email, which he had used as the recovery email for his Kik account. The search resulted in the discovery of several electronic devices containing the illegal materials. During an interview with authorities, Wojahn admitted to ownership of the account.[6]
On March 2, 2023, Wojahn resigned as mayor and was charged with 40 counts of possession and 16 counts of distribution of child pornography. These charges included offenses from that January, in which he distributed a sexually explicit photo as well as 15 sexually explicit videos of prepubescent boys and older men over social media.[7] The same day, he released his statement of resignation, that in part said: "Many of you have already reached out with well wishes and thoughts, and I am eternally grateful. I am stepping away to deal with my own mental health. I ask that you continue to keep me and my family in your prayers."[8]
City council member Denise Mitchell began serving as mayor pro tem of College Park following Wojahn's resignation.[9] Wojahn was detained at the Prince George's County Jail prior to a bail hearing scheduled for March 6, 2023. If convicted, he faces up to 360 years in prison.[10]
Personal life[edit]
Wojahn is gay. He married WTOP-FM senior broadcast engineer Dave Kolesar in 2011.[11]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Case search". Maryland Judiciary.
- ↑ Myers, Brian (February 21, 2019). "Life in mayor's shoes". Common Sense. Thomas S. Wootton High School. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ↑ "Patrick Wojahn, College Park mayor-elect, was a plaintiff in Maryland's same-sex marriage lawsuit". The Diamondback. August 12, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ↑ "Nation's Mayors Support a New Vision for Connected Walking and Bicycling Routes". Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. December 28, 2016. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ↑ Lambe, Jerry (March 2, 2023). "Ex-Mayor Patrick L. Wojahn faces child porn charges". Law&Crime. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ↑ Price, Lilly (March 2, 2023). "College Park mayor arrested and charged with 56 counts of child porn, resigns from office". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ↑ Davison, Kate; Domingo, Ida (March 2, 2023). "College Park, Md. mayor arrested on 56 counts of child pornography charges: Police". WJLA-TV. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ↑ "Patrick Wojahn's resignation letter". DocumentCloud. March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ↑ Vasquez, Ingrid (March 3, 2023). "Maryland Mayor Patrick Wojahn Resigns After Child Pornography Arrest". People. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ↑ Domingo, Ida (March 3, 2023). "Bond review postponed for former College Park mayor arrested on child pornography charges". WJLA-TV. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ↑ Murillo, Mike (December 13, 2022). "College Park mayor and husband celebrate 'momentous' victory in marriage equality at the White House". WTOP News. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
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- 1975 births
- 21st-century American politicians
- Activists from Maryland
- American LGBT rights activists
- Gay politicians
- LGBT people from Maryland
- Mayors of College Park, Maryland
- Maryland Democrats
- Politicians from Appleton, Wisconsin
- Georgetown University alumni
- University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
- 21st-century American LGBT people
- LGBT mayors of places in the United States
