At least a dozen FBI agents swarmed into the home of Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam on the morning of Monday, Dec. 3, 2018 seizing boxes and computers.
Federal agents from the FBI and the IRS arrived at the mayor’s home on Ohio Avenue shortly before 8 a.m. and stayed about four hours, the Press of Atlantic City reported.
Agents left the home carrying several boxes and some computer equipment. The precise reason for the raid is unknown.
“The FBI was at the mayor’s home in Atlantic City in an official capacity, executing a search warrant,” FBI spokeswoman Doreen Holder told the New York Times. She declined to elaborate.
Federal agents Unloading boxes from mayor of Atlantic City Frank Gilliam’s house in raid pic.twitter.com/qtvLyDmkf3
— Amy S. Rosenberg (@amysrosenberg) December 3, 2018
The mayor was in the residence while the search was going on. He left about half an hour after the agents departed, accompanied by his wife. They drove off in his Mercedes SUV. The mayor’s office did not respond to questions.
“We don’t have any details about it,” Maisha Scudder-Moore, Gilliam’s chief of staff, told the Business Journal later on Monday.
“For right now, it is business as usual in the office. We remain open to the public and employees and continue to perform the business of running the city of Atlantic City.”
Gilliam leaves his house with a female passenger. Did not comment. pic.twitter.com/9Ip3KKlmDC
— David Danzis (@ACPressDanzis) December 3, 2018
Mayor’s Troubled Reign
Frank Gilliam, 47, was elected mayor of Atlantic City in 2017, comfortably beating incumbent Don Guardian. While in office he has been in the news just as often for problems as for progress.
The city was in difficulties, as its casinos were losing money and the city nearing bankruptcy. Mayor Guardian had threatened to file bankruptcy several times as the city’s debts swelled.
Instead, in 2016, Governor Chris Christie announced the state of New Jersey will be taking over partial control of Atlantic City’s finances.
Gov. Christie appointed an emergency manager to make final decisions about the city’s economy, but left the existing city administration in place to come up with plans to solve their problems.
Gilliam promised to attract new casinos—and two have opened since his election—and make Atlantic City more family-friendly, a course which has worked well for Las Vegas.
However, almost as soon as he took office, Gilliam found himself embroiled in a controversy over potentially misdirected campaign funds. According to the NY Times, Gilliam deposited in a personal account, a $10,000 check made out to the Atlantic City Democratic Committee.
The committee filed a criminal complaint in March, but a judge dismissed the charges.
#BREAKING: FBI agents at the home of Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam, executing a search warrant. Circumstances of search unclear at this point. Working to get more details. @NBCPhiladelphia @NBCNewYork @CydneyLongNBC10 @brian4NY @AtlanticCity911 @911__ICE pic.twitter.com/mStgWf2rEI
— Ted Greenberg (@tedgreenbergNBC) December 3, 2018
Councilman Joins Bar Fight
On Nov. 11 Gilliam and Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy II got into a scuffle with patrons at the Haven Night Club at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City.
According to criminal complaints obtained by NJ.com, Fauntleroy got into a fight with a patron, whom he punched several times, then threw to the floor. Fauntleroy then began threatening a woman according to court records.
Fauntleroy faces charges of simple assault and harassment while Mayor Gilliam faces a single charge of simple assault. The mayor is also accused of trying to attack two people with his fists.
One witness claims Gilliam chased him in his car.
The cases were originally scheduled to be heard in Atlantic City Municipal Court on Dec. 3, but the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office sought a delay and a change of venue to avoid potential conflicts of interest.
The two cases were transferred to the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and will be heard in the North Wildwood, N.J. court on Dec. 11.
