Maryland elections board member resigns after indictment for participating in US Capitol rioting

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A Republican member of the Maryland State Board of Elections has resigned after being arrested by the FBI this week on felony and misdemeanor charges for participating in rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Carlos Ayala was arrested on Tuesday in Maryland, according to court records. He was charged with civil disorder, a felony, and related misdemeanor charges and released on personal recognizance.

Michael Summers, the chair of the state elections board, said in a statement Thursday he has accepted Ayala’s immediate resignation.

James Trusty, a lawyer representing Ayala, declined to comment.

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Ayala, of Salisbury, Maryland, was appointed to the board two years after the riot in 2023 by Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat. Ayala was recommended to the governor by the Maryland Republican Party. He was confirmed by the Maryland Senate after the chamber rejected the previous nomination of another potential appointee.

Senate President Bill Ferguson described