HAMPTON, Va. — Hampton's city council has voted to censure one of its fellow members.
It comes after court documents revealed Councilman Chris Bowman met with a prostitute at a Newport News hotel early last year. A criminal complaint said a man then stole Bowman's phone and extorted him out of $5,000.
Police arrested that man in June and charged him with threatening a person.
At Wednesday night's council meeting, Vice May Jimmy Gray moved to censure Bowman after a resident shared his concerns. City council voted unanimously to formally disapprove of Bowman's actions.
Bowman does not face any criminal charges, as Newport News police said their investigation into the incident did not yield the required evidence.
A lawyer representing Bowman previously told 13News Now that Bowman planned to remain on the city council and that "he intends to be the best city councilman he can be. Other than this, he's never had a problem."
Bowman has been on the Hampton City Council since 2020, when he was elected to a four-year term.