Mayor of 'Most Corrupt' Town Quits —From Jail

Hampton, Fla., needs a new mayor—unless the state decides to dissolve its "most corrupt town." Barry Layne Moore, mayor of the town of 477 residents, has handed in a one-sentence resignation letter from jail, where he is awaiting trial on charges of selling a single oxycodone pill to an undercover informant, reports CNN. "He didn't want to embarrass the city anymore, and if he did, he apologizes," city council member Bill Goodge tells the Gainesville Sun.

Gov. Rick Scott suspended Moore after he was arrested in November, barely a month after taking office in a town known mainly for one of the nation's most notorious speed traps; Acting Mayor Myrtice McCullough has been at the helm since. Goodge explains that Moore's move clears the way for a proper election of a new mayor. The police chief, city clerk, maintenance operator, and one of the five city council members have already quit following a state audit that revealed staggering levels of mismanagement and corruption, though Goodge said he believes the town can still go forward. It has a few weeks to prove to the state it can do just that; otherwise, the legislature will very likely dissolve it. Click for more about the town's many woes, which include an odd bag of cash. (More corruption stories.)