Commissioner on John Lewis Comments: I Apologize For 'Choice Of Words'

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — Seated in front of dozens of people calling on him to resign, Gwinnett County Commissioner Tommy Hunter apologized, at least in part, Tuesday for calling civil rights icon and U.S. Rep. John Lewis a "racist pig."

In a Facebook post over the weekend, Hunter — a Republican who narrowly defeated a Democratic challenger in November — also referred to Democrats repeatedly as "Demonrats" and called them "idiots."

Hunter's full statement, which he read aloud, reads as follows:

"Many of you are here in response to my personal Facebook comments that were shared in the media over the last 24 hours. I understand emotions are high and many are upset about the post. I apologize for the choice of words I made about Congressman John Lewis. John Lewis as a leader of the civil rights movement is to be commended and emulated. That doesn’t mean that I will always agree with him politically. I will not allow baseless accusations of racism against me or anyone to keep people from speaking up when something is wrong. I have learned a lot from this and will continue to work hard to serve all of District 3 and the people of Gwinnett County."

Lewis, who represents Georgia's Fifth Congressional District based in Atlanta, is a civil rights icon and was one of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s key lieutenants who was beaten and jailed repeatedly for the cause before entering elected politics.

On Friday, Lewis said he didn't view President-elect Donald Trump as "a legitimate president," in part because he believed Russian interference helped Trump defeat Hillary Clinton.

Trump fired back at Lewis on Twitter, calling him "all talk, talk, talk - no action or results" and saying his Atlanta district is "in horrible shape and falling apart."

"John Lewis is a racist pig," Hunter wrote Saturday on Facebook.

The post on Hunter's personal Facebook page went on to twice refer to Democrats as "Demonrats."

"They believe polls were right and the REAL VOTES were wrong," Hunter wrote. "What a bunch of idiots."

Hunter's suburban Atlanta district is miles east of Lewis's and the two do not overlap.

At Tuesday's meeting, comments from citizens condemning Hunter's language took well over two hours. People held signs calling for his resignation and turning his "racist pig" insult back on the commissioner himself.

The only other commission member to speak publicly about the issue, however, was Chairwoman Charlotte Nash. Nash told the crowd she had written a letter of apology to Lewis, and read from that letter.

"I am writing you today to offer my sincere apologies and regrets for the disrespectful comments about you posted on social media by a Gwinnett district commissioner," she wrote. "I would further welcome the chance to apologize to you face-to-face if you are willing to give me a few minutes to do so."

She noted that one commissioner's opinions do not reflect the entire board's, and said that public office-holders should understand that their personal communications "carry the weight of our offices."

"Further, the comments expressed by one individual do not reflect the opinions of Gwinnett County residents as a whole," she continued. "Most of us honor you as a leader in the civil-rights movement and as a longtime public servant, even those who may hold political stances."

She closed the letter with a wish that all politicians could "disagree in a respectful, civil manner without without being offensive and without compromising our ability to take principled stands."

Since Hunter's post became public, multiple political and civil rights groups — including the Gwinnett County Democratic Party and the county's NAACP branch — have also called for Hunter to step down from office.

Photo courtesy Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners