GOP asks judge to hold Fulton Democrats in contempt for defying court order

Democrats have repeatedly criticized the Trump administration for ignoring court orders, accusing the president of putting "democracy at risk." But in Fulton County, it’s now the Democrats who are openly defying a judge.

Democratic members of the Fulton County Commission this week refused to appoint two Republicans to the local election board despite a judge telling them they had to.

On Thursday, it was Republicans’ turn to bemoan the fate of democracy as the Fulton GOP asked Senior Superior Court Judge David Emerson to hold the Democratic commissioners in contempt — a move that could require jail time and daily fines, the AJC’s Caleb Groves reports.

Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon called on Georgia Democrats, including party chair Charlie Bailey as well as U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, to “denounce the Fulton Commissioners and reiterate ON THE RECORD their commitment to the rule of law.”

Credit: Daniel Varnado for the AJC

Credit: Daniel Varnado for the AJC

Bailey, however, condemned Republicans for “seeking to punish your political opponents for taking a vote you don’t like.” He called it “as outrageous, undemocratic, and un-American as it gets.”

“We stand with the Fulton County Commissioners as they, in turn, stand up for Fulton County voters and the integrity of our elections,” he said.

The contempt filing is the latest in a legal dispute brought by the GOP to compel the commission to accept their nominees. In May, the Democratic-controlled commission rejected them in a 5-2 vote, citing concerns about their qualifications and past actions questioning election results and registrations.

The commission failed to appoint the two Fulton GOP nominees on Wednesday in a 2-2 vote along party lines. The other three Democratic members were absent at the time of the vote. Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. said he was absent because he was recovering from hip surgery that he had on Tuesday.

Friday news quiz

Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC

Credit: Abbey Cutrer/AJC

Good morning! Kick off the weekend by testing your knowledge of this week’s political news from Georgia and beyond. You can find the answers at the bottom of the newsletter. And don’t forget to sign up — if you haven’t already — to have this newsletter delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.

Federal regulators are mulling whether to let farmers bring back dicamba, a popular weed killer. What two crops do Georgia farmers primarily use this herbicide for?

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones testified this week during the first meeting of a legislative committee studying whether to eliminate the state income tax. Who else testified?

Which two Georgia schools quietly removed LGBTQ language from their nondiscrimination policies?

Georgia’s HOPE scholarship set the standard for student aid programs across the country. But what fact has some lawmakers concerned about the affordability of Georgia’s colleges and universities?

Sneak peek

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Vice President JD Vance called it a “preview of the Senate race” — and it was no understatement.

Just before he addressed a crowd of nearly 1,000 at a refrigeration plant in Peachtree City, the three top GOP contenders aiming to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff next year gave consecutive speeches.

For former football coach Derek Dooley, it was the first public political speech of his career. He went heavy on the football metaphors — an early hallmark of his campaign — comparing Ossoff’s reelection bid to a question of whether he should be the “starting quarterback for the next six years.”

“And I don’t know about you guys, but where I come from, when you deliver those kind of results, your a-- is on the bench,” he said.

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter followed, hammering Ossoff’s vote to limit U.S. arms sales to Israel. U.S. Rep. Mike Collins closed out the trio by branding the Democrat “California’s third senator.”

The joint appearance marked a new phase in their quest for President Donald Trump’s endorsement — a prize that seems very much up for grabs.

The biggest tell? Each Senate hopeful was given a coveted speaking slot, while Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Trump’s pick for governor, was the lone gubernatorial candidate invited to address the crowd.

Copper credit

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Southwire — an $8.4 billion company that employs more than 9,000 people in Carrolton — is praising U.S. Rep. Brian Jack for helping to carve out an exemption for them with President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Trump announced a 50% tariff on copper last month. But later announced it would only apply to manufactured products, meaning it would exempt unprocessed copper shipped into the U.S.

“We want to thank President Trump and his trade staff, and Rep. Brian Jack … for their support in implementing copper and aluminum policies that support Southwire and other U.S. manufacturers,” Southwire President and CEO Rich Stinson said in a news release. Stinson also thanked other congressmen, including U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton.

The exemption means companies such as Southwire and its major American competitor, Cerrowire, won’t pay as much for the metal they purchase while their international competitors will face stiff taxes for shipping their products to the U.S.

Bloomberg reported the two U.S. companies recently raised prices 5% for a range of copper wire products. But it’s not clear if the increases were directly related to the tariff decision.

Pushing back

Credit: Mike Stewart/AP

Credit: Mike Stewart/AP

More than 700 current and former federal workers this week said U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was complicit in a recent attack on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, Kennedy’s office is pushing back.

The employees sent a letter to Kennedy this week saying his history of calling the CDC a “cesspool of corruption” and spreading inaccurate information about vaccines contributed to the violence.

An unidentified spokesperson for the agency said Thursday that Kennedy “is standing firmly with CDC employees” and that “ensuring their safety and well-being remain a top priority.”

“Any attempt to conflate widely supported public health reforms with the violence of a suicidal mass shooter is an attempt to politicize a tragedy,” the spokesperson said.

The AJC’s Ariel Hart noted that following the shooting Kennedy posted about fishing in Alaska before he posted about the incident in Atlanta. He followed that up two days later with an interview condemning the shooting.

The HHS spokesperson also noted that Kennedy “traveled to Atlanta to offer his support and reaffirm his deep respect, calling the CDC ‘a shining star among global health agencies.’”

“The mission of HHS is truly resonating with the American people — driven by President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s bold commitment to Make America Healthy Again,” the spokesperson said.

Listen up

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Trump today

President Donald Trump is scheduled to make an announcement at noon in the Oval Office.

Do tell

Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Credit: Jacquelyn Martin/AP

Former Vice President Kamala Harris is bringing her book tour to Atlanta on Oct. 8 with a stop at the Tabernacle.

It’s part of a 15-city itinerary that also takes her to New York, San Francisco, Toronto and London to promote “107 Days.”

It starts on Sept. 24 — a day after the memoir’s release — and ends in Miami in late November.

Harris announced in July she would not enter the 2026 race for California governor. But she hasn’t ruled out a presidential bid in 2028.

Celebrating H.O.P.E.

Credit: Tia Mitchell/AJC

Credit: Tia Mitchell/AJC

U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson held his annual Ceremony of H.O.P.E. Awards last weekend, honoring six nonprofits for their work in the community. The Lithonia Democrat gathered more than 100 constituents at the Lou Walker Senior Center in Stonecrest for the program.

This year’s honorees were:

The ceremony closed out Johnson’s annual Week of H.O.P.E., which stands for Helping Other People Elevate. He also held a series of workshops focused on teaching people how to write proposals for federal grants and earmarks. Johnson and his staff volunteered at a local food pantry as a service project that highlighted the issue of food insecurity.

Shoutouts

Credit: Courtesy photo

Credit: Courtesy photo

Today’s birthdays:

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Before you go

Answers to this week’s news quiz: D, C, A, A.

That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.