Alleged Vote-Buying In Milton Under Investigation By State

MILTON, GA -- The Georgia Secretary of State's Office has launched an investigation into a Facebook post providing its followers with a chance to win a gift card to a local restaurant if they posted photos of themselves with a campaign sign of three Milton City Council candidates.

A Facebook post published on Oct. 30 by We Call Milton Home, which has since been deleted, has drawn the scrutiny of the state. Candice Broce, spokesperson for Secretary of State Brian Kemp's Office, said the investigation formally began on Friday, Nov. 3. Since the case remains ongoing, she said she could not provide details at this time.

The post in question encourages early voters to take a selfie with an 'I Voted' sticker holding a campaign sign of Laura Bentley, Peyton Jamison or Mayor Joe Lockwood and post that photo to the Facebook page. If their photo was selected, these users would be awarded a $30 gift card to be used at Campania, an authentic Neapolitan pizza restaurant at 800 North Main Street in Milton.

As readers recall, Bentley defeated incumbent Councilman Bill Lusk from the District 2, Post 1 seat while Mayor Lockwood prevailed against challenger Laura Rencher. Jamison was unopposed in his bid to win the District 1, Post 1 seat.

"If your picture has all three campaign signs, you get three entries to win," the post, according to a screenshot shared with Patch by a reader, goes on to state. "Pictures taken with the actual candidates get double entries and if you have already voted early, you can still be entered in to win by posting your pictures. 3 gift cards will be rewarded Wednesday, 3 Thursday and 3 Friday. Your reward could be a great lunch or dinner at a great restaurant. Get out and vote!!"

Broce added that once the investigation wraps up, it will present its findings to the State Election Board, which will make the ultimate decision on whether any election laws or rules have been broken.

In this case, the code section the complainant alleges to post violates is O.C.G.A. 21-2-570, which states “Any person who gives or receives, offers to give or receive, or participates in the giving or receiving of money or gifts for the purpose of registering as a voter, voting, or voting for a particular candidate in any primary or election shall be guilty of a felony.”

Once the case goes to the State Elections Board, it can choose to dismiss the case; issue a letter of instruction outlining what law or rule was violated and orders the respondent from committing additional violations; or bind the case over to the Attorney General's Office for additional action. It could also be sent to the local district attorney's office for prosecution.

"I cannot provide a timeline on how long it might take to complete the investigation," she added.

In another post, which has also been deleted, We Call Milton Home apologized for its original message, adding that based on its research, "we thought our post was okay."

"When we discovered the Georgia code for elections yesterday, we immediately took down our post and addressed the issue with the Secretary of State," it said, noting it was thankful to those who helped ensure the page is in compliance with state election laws. The organization goes on to state that no candidate for the City Council was affiliated with the age, and the page administrators are just "simple people who are passionate about the Milton City Council candidates we endorse."

Patch has reached out to We Call Milton Home for a comment about the state's investigation and we are waiting to hear back from the organization.

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