Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday referred formal ethics complaints against three pro-Trump State Election Board members to Attorney General Chris Carr.
It’s the latest twist in a series of controversies that have embroiled the State Election Board since July, including:
- Holding an unscheduled meeting that potentially violated Georgia open meeting laws;
- a flurry of last-minute rule-making that county election officials warn could imperil the smooth running of the general election in November;
- and receiving praise from former President Donald Trump for their election rule changes at his Atlanta rally earlier this month. One member, Rick Jeffares, has even openly discussed working in a second Trump administration.
These events formed the basis for the ethics complaints against State Election Board members Janice Johnston, Janelle King, and Jeffares filed by former Fulton Election Board chair Kathy Woolard and State Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes (D-Duluth). They have asked Kemp to remove the three board members, who make up the majority of the five-member State Election Board.
In response, Kemp has asked the state attorney general’s office to clarify whether he does in fact have that authority, a move first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“This office has received Senator Nabilah Islam Parkes and other’s letters alleging ethics violations by members of the State Elections Board. Due to uncertainty regarding whether this office has authority to act under Code Section 45-10-4 in response to these complaints, we have sought the Attorney General’s advice regarding the application of the statute to the letters. We will respond following receipt of this advice and further evaluation of the letters,” Kemp spokesman Garrison Douglas said in an emailed statement to Atlanta Civic Circle.
To support the removal push, Georgia Democrats rallied at the State Capitol on Monday, where U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Georgia) called on Kemp to “hold the State Election Board accountable.”
The Georgia and national Democratic parties also filed lawsuits Monday challenging the legality of two rules the board recently passed, which they charge run afoul of county election boards’ duty to certify election results within the timeframe prescribed by law.
The next meeting of the State Election Board will be held on Sept. 20. The meeting is open to the public, a time and location will be posted on the board’s website closer to the meeting date.
Glad to see Governor Kemp doing his job and making efforts to restore unbiased treatment of the election laws on all Georgia counties.
Not really! We need to see who the replacement players are. He has known this was not good for the voters.