Sacramento Councilman Sean Loloee resigns
(FOX40.COM) — Sacramento City Councilmember Sean Loloee announced in a video posted online that he is resigning from his District 2 seat, weeks after he was indicted on 25 federal charges.
Loloee’s resignation comes after he appeared in court in December to hear the charges against him, which are related to unfair labor practices at Viva Supermarket grocery stores he owns.
In the video, Loloee claims a “politically-motivated circus” by Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg as a reason for his resignation.
“I will not allow Steinberg’s troubling antics to continue to create distraction and negatively impact Sacramento,” Loloee said. “Recent challenges that have played out in the media misrepresent who I am and how I run my business. I look forward to my day in court.”
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Loloee previously said he wouldn’t resign from the District 2 seat, saying he intended to be “fully engaged” to complete his term.
Steinberg and other City Council members publicly called on Loloee to resign after the indictment against him.
“Councilmember Loloee should put the city first,” Steinberg said in a December statement. “We have too much important work to do on behalf of the people of Sacramento for more distraction and controversy.”
The embattled councilman and Viva Supermarket general manager Karla Montoya are facing charges including conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Department of Labor, obstruction of agency proceedings and possession and use of false immigration documents.
Loloee is facing additional charges of falsification of records, wire fraud and pandemic relief fraud.
“My resignation is not a concession to my political opponents, that any of their allegations are true, or their methods are righteous. They are not,” Loloee said.
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In late October, Loloee’s grocery stores were searched by agents from federal and state agencies.
Loloee was elected to the Sacramento City Council District 2 seat after winning a general runoff election in 2020. His term was slated to end in 2024.
During his time on the City Council, questions arose over whether he lived in District 2, which encompasses the Northern Sacramento areas of Del Paso Heights, Hagginwood and Robla.
Loloee had declared to media outlets that he lived at a District 2 home, which he shared with several employees, although his wife owns a home in Granite Bay, which is located outside of Sacramento County.
The December indictment lists Loloee as a Granite Bay resident and a judge directed him to live at the Granite Bay house since he is also barred from speaking with Montoya during the trial.
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