Worker’s comp official to resign
The head of the state workers compensation board is stepping down.
Rick Thompson said in a letter obtained Tuesday by the AJC that he will be leaving office at the end of the month.
Thompson was appointed to the post in 2009 by then-Gov. Sonny Perdue as part of a three-member panel that heard appeals from rulings by administrative law judges and crafted policy for worker’s compensation orders.
He was also the U.S. Attorney in Savannah who initiated the prosecution of Charles Walker, the Augusta Democrat who was the state Senate’s majority leader. Walker was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of fraud charges.
Thompson resigned in January 2004 weeks before a Justice Department probe found he had “violated his duty” by allowing politics to influence decisions about cases. It did not mention the Walker case.
Thompson said in this month’s resignation letter to Gov. Nathan Deal that he would return to private practice.
“It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Georgia,” he said in the letter.
About the Author
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
