Charlotte City Council member Victoria Watlington on Thursday walked back some of the explosive allegations she made Tuesday in an email to constituents that was titled “Power Corrupts.”
Watlington was upset about how the city handled a six-figure financial settlement with police chief Johnny Jennings.
Her initial email said she was concerned about "unethical, immoral and illegal activities” within city government.
That prompted a news conference Wednesday by Mayor Vi Lyles and most other council members, who strongly criticized Watlington. The mayor said if the council member has any evidence of wrong-doing, she should come forward.
In a second email to constituents hours later, Watlington softened her language, saying "my fundamental desire is to operate with truth, transparency, respect and authenticity."
In an interview with WFAE, she clarified that she wasn’t speaking about corruption in a literal sense, in terms of people accepting money for favors.
