St. Peters Mayor Resigns

Just days after pleading guilty to a federal bribery charge, Shawn Brown has resigned as Mayor of St. Peters. Brown entered the guilty plea on Friday at the federal courthouse in St. Louis, admitting he accepted a bribe from a company that won the contract to install red-light traffic cameras in St. Peters. Under the law, Brown would not have been forced to leave office until sentencing, which is scheduled for January 11th. That prompted city and St. Charles County officials to pursue impeachment proceedings against the Mayor. Aldermanic President Bruce Holt will serve as interim Mayor. An election will be held in April to choose a candidate who will fill out the remainder of Brown’s term, which expires in April of 2008. Brown’s resignation is effective immediately.