Allegations Heat Up as House District 50 Race Winds Down

As early voting draws to a close in the runoff for the House District 50 special election, the campaigns of two former Johns Creek City Council members vying to replace Lynne Riley are accusing each other of playing fast and loose with the facts.

Brad Raffensperger and Kelly Stewart are in a heated race to become the next state legislator to represent Johns Creek in the Georgia General Assembly. Friday is the last day to vote ahead of the Feb. 3 runoff. The winner will replace Riley, who was tapped by Gov. Nathan Deal to serve as the state’s revenue commissioner.

Stewart has been accused of misrepresenting her duties while working with the Fannin County government. Stewart said she served as the county’s administrator between 1999 and 2000. That’s not the case, said Lynn Doss, who served as Fannin County’s attorney during that time.

Fannin County does not have a county administrator form of government; its County Commission chair serves as the county’s chief executive officer. Fannin is one of 34 counties that operate with what’s coined the traditional commission form of government, according to the Carl Vinson Institute of Government’s Handbook for Georgia County Commissioners.

Doss said Stewart — formerly Kelly Mull Page — was employed in the Fannin County’s Board of Commissioner’s office. She did not serve as he county clerk or the personnel manager, Doss added.

“She did do some of the financial work not specifically handled by the clerk,” Doss said. “ She did work as the administrative assistant to the chairman; she attended meetings of the Board of Commissioners and other duties as assigned by the chairman. From time to time, she assisted me in preparing resolutions for consideration by the board.”

Doss added Stewart was allegedly “terminated” from her employment after former County Commission Chairman Cline Bowers was recalled from office in 2000.

Stewart’s campaign is tackling the allegations made by Doss. Jeremy Brand, a political consultant helping Stewart with her campaign, said the “accusation orchestrated by Brad Raffensperger’s campaign and Lynn Doss is just silly when we have dozens upon dozens of documents, newspapers and records proving that Kelly was the county administrator.”

Brand shared with Patch photos of two newspaper articles from Blue Ridge-based The News Observer documenting Stewart’s hiring. One headline dated Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1999, states “Chairman will hire administrator.” Another headline — “Page takes county administrator’s job” — is dated Wednesday, Jan. 20, 1999.

The article from the latter headline reads Stewart’s job duties will be “managing the county’s budget, setting personnel policies, doing legal research and bringing economic development to Fannin,” according to photos shared by Brand that appear to be copies of the newspaper.

Brand also shared with Patch photos of Stewart holding what appears to be her business card from her time with Fannin County, what appears to be the membership directory of the Georgia City-County Management Association and Stewart’s listing in the directory as the county’s administrator, a letter from former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Mark Taylor acknowledging Stewart as the county administrator, a sworn affidavit from Fannin County’s personnel director stating Stewart was the county administrator and a document signed by Doss referring to the county administrator position.

Brand added the accusation is “equivalent” to saying Stewart didn’t serve on the Johns Creek City Council “because her name isn’t on the city’s website anymore, which would be laughable.”

“What’s more concerning is that this accusation has been made without one shred of proof,” he added. “They are simply not telling the truth about Kelly and trying to pull a fast one on the people of Johns Creek.”

Brand goes on to say that Fannin County actually had three county administrators before Stewart was hired in 1999.

Stewart’s campaign is also making allegations of its own. Brand said Raffensperger refuses to show proof that he’s ”paid 21 tax liens, legal judgments and lawsuits he’s incurred over the last 17 years that total more than $860,000.”

“It seems as if Brad’s entire defense is: “Everyone else is lying except me,” Brand continued. “Are over a dozen of private companies, courts, and government jurisdictions across four states really lying about his failure to pay his taxes and debts? Is this some conspiracy they dreamed up over 17 years just to keep him out of public office? And if they are lying, where is the proof that these issues have been resolved?”

Raffensperger said his opponent has “knowingly stated factually untrue things” about him, his family and his business. He also said he’s responded to Stewart’s mailings concerning his “business setbacks.”

“Business setbacks do occur in the free enterprise system — they are a fact of life,” he said. “Those painful challenges gave me the necessary wisdom to weather the last economic downturn that began in late 2008 and lasted until 2012.”

Raffensperger said the Stewart campaign “has developed a case of amnesia and accused his opponent of forgetting how ”disruptive” the early 2000s were to many across the nation. Raffensperger points to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the 2000 rupture of the Dotcom Bubble that hit the country in 2000 that impacted the livelihood of many American citizens.

“Millions of businesses, especially real estate and construction related companies, were severely damaged,” he said. ”The economic fallout occurred all over the country and affected my firm, as well, here in the southeast. Any financial issues from that time have since been resolved. Today I owe nothing. Zero. Kelly Mull Stewart knows this, yet her campaign continues to make false claims.”

Polls will open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3 for the runoff. Polling locations are:

Shakerag Elementary School
10885 Rogers Circle
Duluth, GA 30097

Johns Creek United Methodist Church
11180 Medlock Bridge Road
Duluth, GA 30097

Findley Oaks Elementary School
5880 Findley Chase Drive
Duluth, GA 30097

Abbotts Hill Elementary School
5575 Abbotts Bridge Road
Duluth, GA 30097

Northview High School
10625 Parsons Road
Duluth, GA 30097

Wilson Creek Elementary
6115 Wilson Road
John Creeks, GA 30097

Dr. Robert E. Fulton Regional (Ocee) Library
5090 Abbots Bridge Road
Alpharetta, GA 30022

Chattahoochee High School
5320 Taylor Road
Alpharetta, GA 30022

Messiah Lutheran Church
4774 Kimball Bridge Road
Alpharetta, GA 30005

State Bridge Elementary School
5530 State Bridge Road
Alpharetta, GA 30022

Northeast/Spruill Oaks Library
9560 Spruill Road
Alpharetta, GA 30022

Autrey Mill Middle School
4110 Old Alabama Road
Alpharetta, GA 30022

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