ATLANTA – State Representatives David Knight (R-Griffin) and Karen Mathiak (R-Griffin), who are members of the Spalding County Legislative Delegation, today submitted a letter to Attorney General Christopher Carr to request an investigation into the official conduct of the Spalding County Board of Elections and Registration (Spalding County BOE).
“To restore and protect the faith in our democracy, the gross mismanagement of the elections process in Spalding County, as well as Georgia’s election process as a whole, must be held to account,” said Rep. Knight. “Multiple investigations are underway that have highlighted process flaws and rule violations in Spalding County, and we must also address the inconsistent statements provided by the Spalding County election supervisor and chairman of the Spalding County BOE. These events have undoubtedly compromised the integrity of our elections process and the public’s faith in our elections officials.”
In their letter to the attorney general, Reps. Knight and Mathiak express their concerns that the public’s right to observe the process by which local officials make decisions that affect their communities and lives has been disregarded. Knight and Mathiak call on Attorney General Carr to investigate the allegations that the Spalding County BOE failed to conduct its board meetings in accordance to Georgia’s laws, as well as its own by-laws. The letter addresses different legal violations regarding scheduling and providing notices of meetings, creating and posting agendas, keeping summaries and minutes, as well as general executive session requirements. The letter also references the Spalding County BOE’s public website as evidence that there has been repeated failures to meet legal requirements for open meetings and that such failures highlight a systemic violation.
“The failure to properly conduct these meetings is simply illegal,” said Rep. Mathiak. “This violation of legal, governmental and societal norms is troubling to us and many of our constituents. We are prepared to assist in any way possible, and we look forward to seeing the results of an investigation conducted by the attorney general’s office.”
Additionally, the Spalding County Legislative Delegation, along with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, previously called for the resignation or termination of Spalding County Elections Supervisor Marcia Ridley after reports of management issues during the November 3 general election.
*Editor’s Note: The letter to Attorney General Carr is attached.
Representative David Knight represents the citizens of District 130, which includes portions of Henry, Lamar and Spalding counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2004 and currently serves as Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Higher Education. He also serves on the Banks & Banking, Higher Education, Rules, Small Business Development and Ways & Means committees.
Representative Karen Mathiak represents the citizens of District 73, which includes portions of Fayette, Henry and Spalding counties. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Human Resources, Health & Human Services, Higher Education, Insurance and State Planning & Community Affairs committees.
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