ATLANTA — A state election board member is under fire for a new reason. The board, which sets some rules for state elections, has a member who has allegedly sought a job in a potential new Trump administration.
The state election board went from obscurity to controversy after Republicans named active Trump supporters to the panel. This issue with one of those members appears to ramp that up.
When former President Donald Trump rallied supporters in Atlanta two weekends ago, he name-checked three state election board members. Trump said they advance the cause of "honesty, transparency and victory" in Georgia.
"They’re on fire. Three members. Janice Johnston, Rick Jeffares and Janelle King," Trump said. "They’re fighting. Are they here?" Janice Johnston waved to the crowd.
She, King and Rick Jeffares, a Republican former state senator, were at an election board meeting the following week.
According to the Guardian, Jeffares made a pitch to a Trump insider to hire Jeffares as a regional director of the Environmental Protection Agency if Trump is elected to another term. Though it’s perfectly legal for election board members to be publicly partisan – the job pitch is problematic said state Rep. Saira Draper (D-Atlanta).
"The public has to ask, are you taking these actions, are you making these policies because its going to have an impact that’s going to benefit you financially?" Draper said.
Jeffares told the Guardian, “I said if y’all can’t figure out who you want to be the EPA director for the southeast, I’d like to have it.” The regional director is based in Atlanta.
There’s a code of conduct published on the election board web site which says members shall “avoid any appearance of conflict and / or impropriety.”
When asked for comment, Jeffares told 11Alive in a text message: “Y’all have taken a nothing story and blown it up. Done with media. It’s damn ridiculous.”
Draper said she thinks Jeffares should step down. Jeffares was appointed by the Republican lieutenant governor. Democrats control only one seat on the five member board.