Ethics Panel In 'Racist Pig' Case To Meet This Week

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — A Gwinnett County ethics panel tasked with investigating a commissioner who called a civil rights icon a "racist pig" is set to hold its first meeting this week.

The panel, which has been called together for the first time since a local ordinance created it, is scheduled to meet at 10 a.m. on Friday.

The group will be considering whether the actions of Commissioner Tommy Hunter, who used his personal Facebook page to call civil rights icon and U.S. Rep. John Lewis a "racist pig" and hurl insults at others, including Democrats, amounted to a violation of the county's ethics rules.

Only four of the ethics panel's intended five members are expected to be present on Friday, though.

Once the panel was called together, one of its members was supposed to be appointed by Hunter himself. But the commissioner has declined to make an appointment to the five-member group.

According to county ordinance, appointments in this case should have been made by March 19.

Gwinnett's Board of Commissioners appointed community leader and volunteer Herman Pennamon. The Gwinnett Bar Association appointed Lawrenceville attorney David Will. Grand jury member Terri Duncan was appointed by the Gwinnett County District Attorney's office and Fayette County Commission member Charles Rousseau was appointed by the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia.

In January, Hunter took to Facebook to chime in on a political dispute between President Donald Trump and Lewis, who had publicly questioned Trump's legitimacy as president because of lingering questions about Russia's involvement in the 2016 election.

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

The post went on to refer to Democrats as "idiots" and with the insulting term "Demonrats."

Hunter, a Republican, represents Snellville, Loganville and other parts of an ethnically diverse span of Gwinnett County. He was first elected in 2012, and narrowly re-elected this year.

Since the posts caused an uproar, leading some political and civil rights groups to call for his resignation, Hunter has apologized for his "choice of words."

An ethics complaint was officially filed against him on February 6. A section of Gwinnett's ethics ordinance urges county officials and employees to "never engage in conduct which is unbecoming to a member or which constitutes a breach of public trust."

Under the ordinance, the ethics panel has the power to do anything from issuing a written reprimand to removing Hunter from office — although the latter almost certainly would face a legal challenge.

Monday's meeting is expected to be largely planning and coordination, with little chance of any sort of ruling in the case.

Photo courtesy Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners