The DeKalb County Board of Ethics threw out complaints against four elected leaders Thursday while keeping alive cases involving four county commissioners.
Beforehand, ethics complaints had been pending against all six DeKalb commissioners, the county CEO and the sheriff. Many of them were accused of using their government charge cards for personal purchases.
Cases are continuing against Commissioners Elaine Boyer, Kathie Gannon, Larry Johnson and Sharon Barnes Sutton. Boyer's spending on her purchasing card has been scheduled for a mid-September preliminary hearing, while early investigations of the other commissioners are still underway.
The Board of Ethics has the power to suspend or remove commissioners, but it has never done so.
Gannon, who was accused of misspending money on gift cards and lawyers to influence zoning decisions, said she’s confident she’ll be cleared once the Board of Ethics considers the facts of her case.
“The allegations are totally unfounded,” Gannon said after the board’s meeting. “It would be lovely to be dismissed, but they weren’t deciding that issue. They were just deciding jurisdiction.”
The board voted to dismiss complaints that weren’t specific enough or didn’t fall under its authority. The board didn’t consider whether allegations contained in the complaints were true.
Commissioner Jeff Rader, accused in a complaint of using his elected position to benefit his former employer, said he has always avoided voting on matters related to the company, Jacobs Engineering. The Board of Ethics rejected the complaint against Rader because it lacked claims about any specific unethical action he took that could be investigated.
“The complaint against me was frivolous and it was found to be unspecific,” Rader said. “Nevertheless, the public deserves a venue where they don’t have to go through some politician in order to get someone to review their concerns.”
The board also dismissed complaints against Commissioner Stan Watson, Interim CEO Lee May and Sheriff Jeff Mann.
“It is gratifying to see that our revitalized Board of Ethics is proceeding deliberately, responsibly and rapidly to process the concerns of our residents,” May said in a statement Friday. “There was never a doubt in my mind about the propriety of my actions, but the point is that complaints can be vetted thoroughly through an independent organization.”
DeKalb resident Rhea Johnson said he will probably file a new complaint against Watson.
Johnson said he believed the board dismissed his claims because no evidence was produced during a trial in June to show Watson was involved in a South Carolina corruption case. But Johnson continues to question Watson’s charge card use for his cellphone bill. Watson has denied wrongdoing.
Ethics cases are also pending against suspended DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis, Purchasing Director Kelvin Walton and Executive Assistant Nina Hall. The Board of Ethics has tabled those cases until after Ellis’ trial next month, when he will fight charges that he improperly pressured contractors for campaign contributions.
About the Author
