Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade is responding to accusations that he lied to the FBI in an investigation into an alleged hate crime before he was elected to office.
Investigators say the incident was a hoax concocted to gin up support for Mobolade and charged three people in connection.
The indictment spells out that Mobolade, referred to as "CANDIDATE 1," was in contact with one of the charged individuals, Derrick Bernard. Mobolade doesn’t dispute that he and Bernard had contact, but that the two had contact in the context of Bernard as a local media personality.
The article from conservative media outlet The Daily Wire alleges through an unnamed FBI source that "Mobolade explicitly and strenuously denied contact with Bernard," and that "there were dozens of messages between Bernard and the now-mayor" and that Mobolade "was scrolling through his phone as a memory aide … but that 'he was literally skipping over text messages,' not realizing that the bureau had already obtained them elsewhere."
The article then says the FBI referred Mobolade for prosecution for making false statements to federal investigators but that the Department of Justice declined to charge him.
KRCC and CPR News have been unable to independently verify or refute any of the article's claims.
In a Facebook Live address Friday, Mobolade called the allegations false, gossip, and political rhetoric, and said they've "been amplified by a small group of politically motivated individuals."
"Unequivocally, I fully and truthfully cooperated throughout this investigation," he said. "I had no knowledge, warning or involvement in this crime. I did not lie to the FBI. I voluntarily provided all requested communication without a subpoena."
Mobolade's office shared a document from the Department of Justice that identifies Mobolade as "identified by law enforcement as a victim or potential victim during the investigation" of the criminal case.
"Because I respect the judicial process and this remains an active case. I have intentionally not engaged with the gossip and fallen into political rhetoric," Mobolade said.
He also said that while he did have contact with Bernard, Mobolade only knew him as a "local media personality."
The indictment identifies Bernard and the other two charged individuals as associated with a nonprofit in Colorado Springs called Family Flavors the Slide WBN, which "marketed itself as a minority-owned independent broadcasting and multi-media organization."
What we do know
The situation started three weeks before the mayoral runoff in the spring of 2023, when news outlets in Colorado Springs received an email with a video of a burning cross in front of a Mobolade sign defaced by a racist slur.
The anonymous writer of the email blamed the cross and the slur on supporters of Mobolade’s opponent, Republican Wayne Williams, asking “What has this city come to?!” Several outlets picked up the story, covering it as a potential hate crime.
However, when federal officials announced criminal charges in November against three people for the incident, the indictment laid out a much different scenario.
Derrick Patrick Bernard, Jr., Ashley Danielle Blackcloud and Deanna Crystal West were charged with conspiracy to maliciously convey false information. In other words, the video, investigators allege, was a hoax intended to aid Mobolade’s electoral chances.
The indictment includes messages Bernard sent to Mobolade, referred to in the document as Candidate 1. Shortly after the mayoral election in April that resulted in the need for a runoff between Mobolade and Williams, Bernard wrote to Mobolade on Facebook that “I’m mobilizing my squadron in defense and for the final push. Black ops style big brother. The klan cannot be allowed to run this city again.”
Bernard also texted Mobolade days after the video went out, “Brother some foul stuff came up I’m [sic] our email. I’m not about to play with racist cowards brother.”
The indictment does not include information on whether Mobolade texted back, but the following day, the two spoke on the phone for around 5 minutes, according to investigators.
When asked about his contacts with Bernard, Mayor Mobolade said recently he didn’t recall the conversation but that it probably had to do with a media production company and online radio station Bernard ran, and noted he’d be interviewed as a candidate at Bernard’s studio.
Mobolade said the original incident was traumatizing for him and his family and that he wouldn’t have thought “in a million years” that Bernard would be the one behind it.
A few months after the cross burning, Bernard was charged with attempted murder for shooting at police officers in a patrol car. And just weeks ago, he was convicted of first degree murder for ordering the 2019 killing of a man he had an ongoing feud with.
When reached by the Colorado Springs Gazette, both Bernard and Blackcloud denied they were involved in the cross burning and said they were being set up in retaliation for using their podcasts to criticize local officials.
A trial in the case is set for January.
Meantime, the original article from The Daily Wire, and a second one published Dec. 2, have been shared across social media and Councilman Dave Donelson, who has sparred with Mobolade in the past, began publicly seeking comment from Mobolade.
"I would ask the mayor to come forward and answer questions about whether or not he lied to the FBI, which is what's alleged in that report," Donelson said at a council work session on Nov. 25.
In Friday's Facebook Live address, Mobolade said the "politically motivated attacks" have made him and his family question their safety.
"These politically motivated attacks have had far reaching consequences. It is not just about the headlines or partisan points. It is about people. These attacks have real consequences on families, individuals, and even their sense of safety and security."
