Insurance Commissioner John King, a major general in the Georgia National Guard, is to be deployed for the third time this year to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and, possibly, the social justice protests across the nation.
King said in a statement he's "honored to answer the call of duty once again" during unprecedented times. He was recently deployed to New Orleans and New Jersey to help expand hospital bed capacity in hotspots impacted by COVID-19.
“While I currently cannot provide details on this deployment, my mission is always to protect our nation, our people, and our freedom,” he said.
This is not a new role for King, a former Doraville police chief and military veteran who has been dispatched to respond to hurricanes, flooding other natural disasters and crises over his career.
When Gov. Brian Kemp tapped him for the job last year, making him the first Hispanic constitutional officer in state history, King was in Texas leading a hurricane preparedness training and operations mission.
King was appointed to replace Jim Beck, who was accused in a 38-count indictment of developing an elaborate scheme to steal $2 million before winning the November election. Beck has pleaded not guilty and his case is still pending.
While King is deployed, King will stay in contact with his office remotely. Martin Sullivan, the chief deputy commissioner, will present the agency’s budget cuts to state legislators during joint hearings.
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