A Washington-based watchdog group has sued the Department of Justice for refusing to turn over documents related to its involvement in the investigation of Nathan Deal’s 2010 campaign for governor.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington wants a federal judge to order the Justice Department to produce records of communications between the department and Georgia’s ethics commission regarding the commission’s investigation of Gov. Deal.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported that the two former leaders of the commission had consulted with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and several FBI agents as it investigated whether Deal improperly spent campaign funds. Major complaints against Deal were dismissed in 2012 and he agreed to pay $3,350 in administrative fees for other “technical defects.”
Meanwhile, Georgia ethics watchdog George Anderson has asked Attorney General Sam Olens, the state’s inspector general and U.S. Attorney Sally Yates to investigate Deal and the current ethics commission over accusations that the governor’s office tried to interfere with the commission’s work.
The AJC reported last week that those allegations are included in a pair of lawsuits filed by former commission director Stacey Kalberman and her former top deputy, Sherilyn Streicker. Deal and his attorney have said they did nothing improper and were given no preferential treatment.
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