@City of Lewiston, ME YOUTUBE
(Lewiston, Maine) – A firestorm over a Somali Lewiston city councilor, who was sworn into office while under indictment on fraud and firearms charges, took another dramatic turn Thursday morning after The Maine Wire reported that the official has now resigned.
“We can officially confirm that Iman Osman has resigned from the Lewiston City Council,” The Maine Wire wrote, citing sources at City Hall. The outlet added that Osman allegedly listed 210 Blake Street- a condemned building- as his address on court documents, a move that could place him in violation of his bail conditions.
Osman had been sworn in while facing active criminal charges, including fraud-related counts and firearms allegations- a decision that drew swift backlash and national attention. Critics questioned how an individual under indictment was permitted to run, campaign, and take office in the first place.
Reaction online was blunt and unforgiving. One X user asked, “Why was he allowed to run in the first place??? Why was he voted in??” Another wrote simply, “Lock him up.”
Supporters previously defended Osman under the principle of “innocent until proven guilty,” but his resignation and the latest revelations have only intensified scrutiny of local vetting processes and political judgment in Lewiston.
As legal proceedings continue, the episode is fueling a broader debate over standards, accountability, and whether basic safeguards in local government have broken down entirely.