Fayetteville councilman recorded asking for money says he will not resign

"Sorry for my mistakes. I have always tried to comply," Williams said Monday night.

Mayor Mitch Colvin said the other eight council members signed a letter seeking that Williams resign his seat. The letter was presented during the council's meeting Monday night.

"I’m not making any judgment about Councilmember Williams, what he did or didn’t do." Colvin said Monday. "I just want to make sure that the council, as a board, can continue to be effective with the public trust."

The council cannot force any member out, but Colvin had hoped the letter would convince Williams to take that step.

"You know the world is watching how we handle this – at least our neighbors – and I want to make sure it’s done orderly and decent," the mayor said.

Prior to announcing his decision, Williams distributed a letter to council members, sharing his side of the story and claiming "key facts" have been ignored.

Jones, a partner with Prince Charles Holdings investor group, was contacted by marketing businessman T.J. Jenkins on Dec. 12. Jenkins told Jones there was a "cloud on the title" of the hotel, and he invited Jones to a meeting with Williams at his downtown office.

Jones was suspicious because the developers had bought the Prince Charles property with cash and had checked for issues with the title, so he decided to record the meeting.

Williams tells Jordan during the meeting that he is concerned that the new investors could have problems if the title was not clear.

"I don’t know if there is any kind of way I can make it a smooth transition for you and what you’re trying to do, because I want the project to go, and I don’t want there to be no hiccups down the road," Williams said at the meeting.

"I think I would just feel good if we just worked together some way to make it all go away," he said. "I’m not looking for a large amount of money. I’m just looking for a smooth transition, you know what I mean?"

He then suggested $15,000 to "sign off" on the deal.

Jenkins said the matter should remain private, and Williams agreed.

"Want to make sure you two was here so we can make sure we do this as quiet as possible," Jenkins said. "No public image. No public knowledge. So that way … you know you line up for scrutiny when you start doing that."

Jones gave the recording to law enforcement, triggered an FBI investigation.

In his letter, Williams stated "it was Jones who called Williams, and on Feb. 13, it was Jones who offered to pay $15,000 in cash. Councilman Williams declined this offer and, the very next day, sent a letter instructing Jones to send a formal proposal that would be forwarded to Williams' attorney and the Fayetteville City Attorney for review."

"Mr. Williams directed Mr. Jones to put all proposals through the attorneys, so it was Councilman Williams' intent that this be done properly," said Kris Poppe, an attorney for Williams.

In a surprise move, Jones went before the City Council to clear his name, saying communications Williams referenced to defend himself were part of a federal investigation.

"This text message and other text messages and calls I made to Councilman Williams were under the sole authorization and supervision of the FBI. All text messages were monitored and recorded by the FBI," Jones said.

Colvin confirmed that the FBI has investigated the case, but he's not sure of the current status of the investigation.

Williams has requested an independent third party investigate the case, his letter states.

Poppe and Jones' attorney, Lonnie Parker, declined to comment on the investigation.

"The most troubling part to me," Colvin said, "(was) I’ve been an advocate for minority and disadvantaged business participation, you know, and just to hear the reference about circumventing that process and kind of defrauding what the city’s policies are to do business with those companies, was disappointing. That’s probably the most disappointing part of it."

The City Council has submitted a request to the Ethics Commission to determine if Williams has a conflict of interest with Prince Charles Holdings LLC that would cause his previous votes regarding the hotel to be in violation of the city's conflict-of-interest ordinance.