CHARLOTTE—One year ago Thursday, former Charlotte mayor Patrick Cannon was arrested on federal corruption charges.
Since then, Charlotte mayor Dan Clodfelter says the city has handled the scandal very well. Mayor Clodfelter touted the way the council pulled together in the last year, after the city was rocked once Cannon was arrested on those federal corruption charges.
"This is the city that's not defined by that one dark day, that one dark day doesn't define today,” said Clodfelter.
On March 26, 2014 Cannon was four months into his term as the mayor of Charlotte when he was arrested on charges of accepting and seeking bribes.
He resigned hours after his arrest and pleaded guilty to those charges. He is currently serving a three and a half year sentence at a federal prison in West Virginia.
Clodfelter met with the media on Wednesday to talk about how he and the council dealt with Cannon's arrest. He said there weren't any major changes in the way the city conducts business and he is proud of the way the city came together to focus on their priorities and challenges they face.
"It just took putting your head down, staying focused on the task, staying focused on the council's priorities and not getting derailed, not getting distracted,” said Clodfelter.
Some council members disagreed with Clodfelter's decision to talk with the media about Cannon's arrest. They said it was a negative day that should stay in the past.