Shawn Oliver OUI Crash: Former Mayor Demands Resignation

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — Former New Bedford Mayor Scott Lang has become the first to step forward and suggest that embattled Ward 3 City Councilor and former lieutenant governor candidate Shawn Oliver resign his council seat while facing a charge of operating under the influence and other offenses.

Scott Lang Cites $32M Budget Deficit in Call for Resignation

Lang said with a $32 million budget deficit this fiscal year and the impact it will have on city finances in the future, the council doesn’t “need the distraction” of Oliver’s legal problems.

“Shawn has done a good job as a city councilor. He shows up, he’s responsible,” Lang said. “But when you get involved in the situation that he did, we’re all flesh and blood, and we all have foibles…you cannot then saddle your personal problems on a governmental body, which the city council is.”

“As you know, everyone kicks around the city council from time to time, but it is a very important governmental body, highly respected,” Lang said. “People put in a lot of time and effort. They don’t need to be sitting there with someone chasing one of the councilors around asking them, ‘So what are you gonna do next?’”

Oliver has attended city council committee meetings every night this week, and the meeting of the full council on Thursday night. To this point, none of his fellow councilors have fully called on him to resign, with Council President Ryan Pereira bluntly stating on WBSM that he would not ask that of Oliver and would not remove him himself if he had that authority, nor would he strip him of any committee assignments.

How Shawn Oliver Could Be Removed from the New Bedford City Council

Because New Bedford lacks a recall provision for elected officials – a Home Rule Petition approved by the council and signed by Mayor Jon Mitchell is currently in the hands of the state legislature – the only ways Oliver could be removed from office are if he steps down, or he is voted out in November 2027.

Lang said Oliver did the right thing in suspending his campaign for lieutenant governor, and that gubernatorial candidate and running mate Mike Minogue did the right thing in asking him to do so.

“But that letter of resignation should be in now,” Lang said regarding Oliver’s promise to Minogue to resign if the Republican ticket is elected on November 3. “It should be there now, because there should not be any doubt.”

However, Oliver himself has not made a public statement regarding whether he would resign if elected on November 3. But Lang said there’s no way he can show up to be inaugurated as lieutenant governor after what has transpired.

“It’s over and done with. It’s finished. It’s over,” he said.

The Rollover Crash and Future Political Impact

Lang said no matter what occurred to cause Oliver’s rollover crash on the night of October 17 – whether it was drinking, lack of sleep, or even texting and driving – the investigation has only begun and the distractions will only get worse.

“He’s gotta walk away. We’re at the 10-yard line, and we’ve got to go 90,” Lang said. “The way to put this story in the rearview is resignation…resign from the council, and then go resolve your issues.”

“The city of New Bedford doesn’t need this cloud, or this blemish, or to be besmirched,” he said. “This is not something where I want to read that we have a city councilor that has this many lacks of judgment at any given time.”