Blair Garber resigned as chairman of the Illinois Lottery Control Board after tweeting a vulgarity to describe East St. Louis that got President Donald Trump into hot water earlier this month.
Garber confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that he resigned and that he used the term to describe the southern Illinois city, which is predominantly black. The (Springfield) State Journal-Register first reported about his tweet and his resignation.
The paper reports that on Jan. 17, Garber tweeted the vulgarity in a message to country music star Charlie Daniels after Daniels mocked Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, who told reporters that Trump had used the vulgar term to describe African countries. Trump has said he was misrepresented.
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner's office told the State Journal-Register that Garber apologized for the tweet.
© Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.