(The Center Square) — A Lewiston City Councilor has reigned just days after being sworn into office as the first Somali-American man elected to the city’s governing board amid criminal charges and questions about his residency.
In a Thursday letter to fellow Lewiston city councilors, Iman Osman said he has decided to step down from office “immediately” as he fights his indictment on firearm theft charges and allegations that he lied about his residency.
“For the betterment of our community and in the best interest of our city, I believe it is time for me to step aside,” he wrote in the letter. “I hope my resignation serves as a call to action for those who remain — an opportunity to reflect on the values of respect, inclusivity and kindness that should guide our public service.”
Osman said he wanted to run for the city Council to help represent the city where he has lived since a teenager, but instead has “faced vicious personal attacks that not only target me but also seek to silence the marginalized voices I have always sought to uplift.”
“Public service today is fraught with harassment, intimidation, and hostility,” he wrote. “These tactics deter individuals with genuine intentions from stepping forward to contribute positively to our city.”
Osman, 36, was indicted by an Androscoggin County Grand Jury in December on felony charges of receiving stolen property and theft by unauthorized taking of a firearm, according to court filings. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The newly elected councilor was also facing mounting criticism from the Lewiston School Board, which he also serves on, for listing a building that has been condemned as his primary residence. Other school board members have called for an investigation into the claims.
Osman won the Ward 5 City Council seat in the Nov. 4 elections after defeating incumbent Councilor Eryn M. Soule-Leclair by 35 votes, according to official election results. He was the first Black and Somali-American man elected to the council.
He was sworn into office on Jan. 5 with other councilors, who then voted 6-1 to conduct an investigation into Osman’s criminal charges to determine if they warranted removing him from office.
Osman’s attorney suggested to a local news station that the White House’s heated rhetoric about the Somali community in Minnesota, Maine and other states had led to threats against the councilman, which contributed to his decision to resign from office.”The fact that the Trump administration is targeting Somali and Somali Americans across the country, absolutely played a role in ginning up the kind of hatred and threats of violence that ultimately forced him to conclude that he could no longer serve in public office at this time,” Kiernan Majerus-Collins told WMTW.
Lewiston Mayor Carl Sheline was among those calling for Osman to resign following his indictment on the weapons charges, saying the scandal was impacting the council’s ability to do its work.
“While he is entitled to the presumption of innocence, the judicial process will be lengthy and this matter has become an unwelcome distraction from the essential business of governing,” Sheline said in a recent statement. “Stepping down would be the right thing to do.”
