DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — Gov. Brian Kemp has appointed the three-person commissions that will review possible suspensions for three public officials in Douglas County who have been indicted in an alleged bid-rigging scheme.
Two Douglas County commissioners, Henry Mitchell III and the commission chairwoman Romona Jackson Jones, and the county tax commissioner Greg Baker were indicted by a grand jury last month in an alleged conspiracy to rig a janitorial contract.
In 2018, Douglas County commissioners took bids to clean the auto tag office building used by Douglas County Tax Commissioner Greg Baker. The county awarded the bid to a janitorial service called S&A Express.
The grand jury said there’s evidence the contract was awarded after three elected officials rigged the bidding process.
Under Georgia law, upon the indictment of public officials a three-person commission reviews whether the indictment "relates to and adversely affects the administration of the duties" they perform, and whether the officials should be suspended from office.
The same process led to ex-Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill's suspension after a federal indictment in 2021.
The three-person commission is required by Kemp's orders to prepare a report with their recommendations and submit it to the governor within 30 days (the law specifies 14 days, but the governor may set another timetable). If they recommend a suspension, the governor may then choose to carry it out (he also has the choice to not carry it out). If they do not recommend suspension, the governor cannot issue a suspension.
For county commissioners Mitchell and Jackson Jones, Kemp appointed retired Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears, Jefferson County Commissioner Johnny Davis and Quitman County Commissioner Carvel Lewis.
For Baker, the tax commissioner, the three-person panel will be retired Justice Ward Sears, Floyd County Tax Commissioner Kevin Payne and Thomas County Tax Commissioner Alicia Hester.
RELATED: Governor appoints commissions to review possible suspensions for indicted Douglas County officials
Under the law, the three-person panel shall be composed of the state attorney general - or, as in this case, if the attorney general brought the indictment, then a retired state Supreme Court justice or state Court of Appeals justice - plus "two public officials who hold the same office as the individual indicted." That's why two commissioners in other counties are serving on the first panel, and two tax commissioners from other counties are serving on the second panel.
The indictment of Mitchell, Jackson Jones and Baker alleges “the accused, after reviewing the bids, caused S&A Express’ bid to be exactly the same as the lowest bid” submitted by other contractors. The indictment also accuses chairman Jones of lying to investigators when asked about when she signed the janitorial contract.
Jackson Jones' attorney previously released a statement saying the chairman "vehemently denies the allegations in the indictment and strongly proclaims her innocence." The lawyer added that Jones looks forward to challenging the allegations in court.
Douglas County Administrator David Corbin has also said in a statement that "it is important to remember that an indictment is just an allegation, and that those indicted are entitled to a presumption of innocence."
"These allegations should not distract from the outstanding accomplishments that we have had in moving this county forward," Corbin said.
A bid rigging conviction could result in up to five years in prison.