Gov. Brian Kemp doesn’t need to investigate Georgia election board members who pushed new rule changes, state AG finds
CNN
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp does not have an obligation to investigate members of the State Election Board who have come under fire for enacting last-minute changes to election procedures in this battleground state, according to an opinion issued Friday by the state’s attorney general, Chris Carr.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp does not have an obligation to investigate members of the State Election Board who have come under fire for enacting last-minute changes to election procedures in this battleground state, according to an opinion issued Friday by the state’s attorney general, Chris Carr. Carr, a Republican, said state law “does not mean that a citizen can simply submit information to the Governor and trigger a hearing process.” The decision comes after several Georgia Democrats called on the GOP governor to investigate and remove three Republicans from the State Election Board, after they used their new majority on the five-member panel to push forward a series of controversial rules just months ahead of the election. The Democrats lodging complaints also took issue with partisan activity that some of the board members engaged in, as well as their decision to hold a board meeting without the chair of the board or the Democrat on the board present. In the wake of the complaints, Kemp asked the attorney general for legal guidance on whether he had the authority to take action, such as removing members of the State Election Board. Carr’s decision – which makes clear that Kemp is not required to act in response to the complaints – offers the governor a layer of political cover. It means he likely won’t have to take on Republicans on the election board who have the backing of former President Donald Trump.
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