FRENCH CAMP, Calif. — Shakir Khan walked out of the San Joaquin County jail on his own recognizance Friday evening, making it abundantly clear he’s not resigning as a Lodi city councilmember.
“I did not resign my city council seat,” Khan told KCRA 3 in an exclusive interview outside the jail following his release. “I will continue to serve the people that I love in my district and my community.”
A judge agreed to release Khan from jail during a hearing earlier Friday after his arrest on election fraud charges.
“My family and myself, we are going through some hard time right now and we are looking forward to fighting these charges,” Khan said.
The city of Lodi and San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office has been transparent about a letter Khan agreed to sign Thursday at the encouragement of Lodi’s Mayor Mikey Hothi.
In an interview outside the courtroom Friday, San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow told reporters Hothi requested to visit Khan after his arrest while Khan was in the process of being booked into jail.
The sheriff said he assisted in making that meeting happen – even making sure it was recorded on an officer’s body camera.
At that meeting, the mayor said he and Khan mutually agreed the best thing would be for Khan to resign from his post as a Lodi council member. Both men signed the handwritten resignation letter then the letter was delivered to and stamped by the city clerk.
Khan’s lawyer told KCRA 3 that resignation was coerced and not official. He said the city and county officials never should have gone about getting a resignation from Khan in that manner.
Khan’s attorney Allen Sawyer said Khan should also have been allowed to have legal representation present in that moment.
“If the city of Lodi attempts to enforce what I think is a bogus resignation, they’re gonna enter into significant federal litigation,” Sawyer said.
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