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Maryland Mayor Patrick Wojahn, who has been arrested on 56 counts of child pornography, has called the beleaguered Biden administration’s Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeig his “friend” and “mentor.”
Wojahn, 47, was detained after his home was searched on February 28 and resigned before being arrested this week.
The 47-year-old has credited his career success to Buttigeig, who recently came under fire for his handling of a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, that dumped chemicals into the city.
Over the years, the couple have appeared in a number of high-profile situations, including at the White House during an event during the Obama administration.
Maryland Mayor Patrick Wojahn, who has been arrested on 56 counts of child pornography, has called embattled Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeig his ‘friend’ and ‘mentor’.
Wojahn, 47, was detained after his home was searched on February 28 and resigned before being arrested this week.
“I actually met Mayor Pete Buttigieg shortly after I was elected mayor in 2015,” Wojahn, who is gay, told washington sheetback in 2019.
Wojahn went on to explain how Buttigeig, who is also gay, had been given the task of being his ‘partner’ during a meeting of mayors in Washington DC.
‘I went to the US Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting in DC in January [2015] and he was assigned to be my friend,’ Wojahn said.
The two are said to have become close after the DC visit and continued to speak on the phone, both later attending an event at the White House.
“I now serve in a leadership role as vice president for city livability and cycling, in part because of his mentorship,” Wojahn said of Buttigieg, adding that they would discuss the challenges of being openly gay mayors.
“We talked about balancing competing interests,” Wojahn told the Washington Blade at the time.
In 2019, Wojahn shared a photo of himself on Twitter with Buttigeig, the couple embracing with the caption: “Just two mayors, having a beer together.” #MayorPete’
Several other photos surfaced over the years of the couple, including some from his mentors’ 2020 presidential campaign, in which he was seen wearing a ‘Pete 2020’ button with the former mayor of South Bend.
Visitor logs and his social media accounts show Wojahn has visited the White House about six times since President Biden was inaugurated and since Buttigeig was appointed to head the Department of Transportation, according to foxnews.
Wojahn, was elected mayor of College Park, a DC suburb, in 2015 but abruptly resigned after Prince George’s County police arrested him on 40 counts of possession of child pornography and 16 counts of distribution of child pornography.
The “allegations against former College Park Mayor Patrick Wojahn are extremely concerning, and we are grateful that local law enforcement stepped in,” a DOT spokesperson told Fox News.
“The clerk did not know the former mayor well, but met him multiple times through participation in US Conference of Mayors programming, lectures, and political events,” they added.
Buttigieg has faced calls to resign and even threats of impeachment in recent weeks for his handling of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, in which residents were forced to evacuate.
A total of 38 cars derailed during the February 3 accident, 11 of which were carrying hazardous materials; residents later reported feeling unwell, as well as the death of fish and wildlife.
Engineers aboard the doomed eastern Ohio toxic train said Thursday they had desperately tried to stop it, after receiving alerts that a wheel bearing was 254 degrees above normal temperature.
The two are said to have become close after the visit to DC and continued to speak on the phone; both later attended an event at the White House.
Kojahn with her husband, Dave Kolesar, at the White House in December to celebrate the Respect Marriage Act.
Buttigieg has faced calls to resign and even threats of impeachment in recent weeks for his handling of the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
Nearby homes were quickly evacuated after the derailment when the highly toxic and flammable chemicals ignited.
The crew attempted to slow the train as it headed east to Palestine, Ohio, but their efforts failed and resulted in a fierce crash.
Images and images emerging from the incident show plumes of black smoke rising from the crash site.
Buttigeig’s use of taxpayer-subsidized private planes on more than a dozen occasions is also under investigation by his department’s inspector general.
Wojahn was taken into police custody this week on 56 counts of child pornography after an undercover operation linked him to a social media account that spread explicit images of children.
Wojahn, 47, is in custody after his home was searched, and in January the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children notified local police about a social media account disseminating explicit images.
Police linked that account to Wojahn and say he used a VPN to try to hide his identity.
In a resignation letter on Thursday, Wojahn said he would resign to “deal with” his “mental health.”
The city, in its own statement, thanked him “for his service” and said nothing of the allegations in its initial announcement.
“The City of College Park thanks Mayor Wojahn for his many years of dedicated service,” the city statement said.
A later statement said: ‘We are shocked and disturbed by the news; what has come to light in this investigation is a complete surprise to us.
“The City knows this news is distressing and difficult for our community, and we encourage our residents to seek whatever help they feel is necessary to get through this difficult time.”
Wojahn was linked to the crimes because he had used his College Park email address as the account recovery email, according to police.
He has been charged with 40 counts of possession of child pornography and 16 counts of distribution of child exploitation material.
Wojahn has served as the mayor of College Park, a city of 35,000, since 2015.
Wojahn lives with her husband, Dave Kolesar. They recently visited the White House to celebrate the Respect Marriage Act in December.
Kolesar has not yet commented. In his resignation letter, Wojahn said, ‘It has been a great honor and privilege to serve the City of College Park.
‘However, effective immediately, I must resign my position.
‘On February 28, 2023, a search warrant was executed at my residence as part of an ongoing police investigation. I have fully cooperated and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement.
“While this investigation does not involve any official business of any kind, it is in the best interest of our community that I step aside and not serve as a distraction.
‘So many of you have already reached out with well wishes and thoughts and I am forever grateful. I am stepping away to deal with my own mental health.
In a resignation letter, he said: “I am stepping away to deal with my own mental health.”
Wojahn with Nancy Pelosi in a social media image
Police carried out a search warrant at Wojahn’s home on February 28.
“I ask that you keep me and my family in your prayers.”
In a press release, the Prince George’s County Police Department said: “The image and videos were uploaded to the social media account in January 2023.”
“Through various investigative techniques, PGPD investigators discovered that the social media account belonged to Wojahn.”
It is unclear if her husband will face charges.