From: Liz Flowers <flowersliz123@gmail.com>
Date: 10/23/2013 2:50 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: danmatt@hotmail.com
Subject: Senate Dems Respond to State Ethics Manuevering
|
|
MEDIA ADVISORY
October 23, 2013
|
|
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Liz Flowers
404-291-4755
flowersliz123@gmail.com
|
|
|
Senate Dems Outraged Over Latest Ethics Maneuvering
Call for indie ethics investigation, restore public confidence
|
Atlanta, Ga. - October 23, 2013 - Senate Democrats expressed outrage and disbelief over the latest political maneuvering to clean up an ongoing ethics investigation into allegations that Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and his staff attempted to cover up campaign spending activities.
The Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission (commonly known as the ethics commission) announced that the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts had agreed to conduct an internal investigation into allegations that the commission's employees had deleted files and assisted in a cover up.
The state auditor, Greg Griffin, was originally appointed by Deal. The relationship between the two is not far enough removed to restore public confidence.
This change in investigation runs counter to a commission vote three weeks earlier asking Georgia's Attorney General to appoint a special investigator to look into claims of wrong doing.
"The ethics commission rationale on this change is a laughable excuse," said Horacena Tate, chairwoman of the Senate Democratic Caucus. "The state auditor is an accountant. The allegations were not a financial accounting error. This two-year investigation is about the possibility of deleting files, assisting in a cover up and obstructing the honest process of government."
Senate Democratic Leader Steve Henson called this latest maneuver "a travesty of justice."
"As a lawyer, the Attorney General has a higher standard and professional obligation to uphold and enforce the law. The state auditing agency is not a prosecutorial body," Henson said.
Senate Democrats have called for greater transparency in government for several years and have introduced a package of bills that include creating an independent ethics commission and providing the necessary funding to ensure it can enforce its rulings.
"This week's actions by the ethics commission is nothing but investigator shopping, plain and simple," said Vincent Fort, whip of the Senate Democratic Caucus. "Deal and his team have managed to take cronyism to a new level."
Fort said the ongoing crisis with the state ethics commission, allegations against Deal coupled with the yearlong hold on a criminal investigation against Sen. Don Balfour should be a wake up call to Georgia voters.
"There is an arrogance of power that exists at the highest levels in Georgia. This is not the way citizens want from the government," said Fort.
###
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Comments