What should Gwinnett do about Tommy Hunter?

For three months now, protesters show up at every Gwinnett County Board of Commission meeting to voice concerns about one very hot topic. Gwinnett’s District 3 Commissioner Tommy Hunter’s controversial Facebook comments calling civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis a “racist pig” have left many residents calling for his resignation. The same post referred to Democrats as “Demonrats” and “a bunch of idiots.”

At each public meeting since the controversy erupted in mid-January, commissioners conduct as much business as possible, then respectfully listen for about an hour to protesters calling for some kind of formal action against Hunter’s conduct. In most cases, Hunter excuses himself from commission chambers before the open comment period.

Everyone involved agrees the protests distract from county business.

Protesters, including the Gwinnett County Democratic Party, have called for Hunter’s resignation, for commissioners to formally denounce and sanction his actions, or for him to be formally removed from the board. One group calling themselves Indivisible Georgia 7 has formed a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of an open records request for the embattled official’s emails.

In February, two local attorneys Helen Kim Ho and Christine Koehler filed an ethics complaint against Hunter on behalf of Atlanta resident Nancie Turner. It accuses Hunter of violating several sections of Gwinnett’s 2011 ethics ordinance. As a result, Gwinnett has formed its first-ever ethics board to hear the complaint.

If the complaint is sustained, possible penalties could range from written reprimand to removal from office or referral to criminal authorities.

In the meantime, residents and county officials would like to move past this disruptive event. What action, if any, should commissioners take to put the issue to rest?

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