The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

What should Gwinnett do about Tommy Hunter?

- By Karen Huppertz For the AJC

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?

Send comments to communityn­ews@ajc.com. Your response may be published in print and/ or online.

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