Cobbvoice.com

Ethics Commission Rejects Democrat’s Complaint Against Cobb GOP School Board Members

GA Ethics Commission

On January 15, 2025, the Georgia State Ethics Commission swiftly dismissed a complaint filed by East Cobb Democrat activist Mindy Seger against four Republican members of the Cobb County Board of Education.
See the dismissal here

In an unusually brief deliberation, the commission rejected Seger’s claims without any discussion. This stood in stark contrast to the nearly hour-long review of a complaint involving former Democrat gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, which resulted in a six-figure penalty.

Democrat Activist Mindy Seger

Seger, the executive director of the liberal group “For Which It Stance,” has a history of filing ethics complaints targeting Republicans. Her latest accusation claimed that the four Republican school board members illegally received campaign support through their inclusion in a widely distributed email newsletter, sponsored by Board Chairman David Chastain.

Seger alleged that the Republicans failed to disclose the newsletter as an in-kind campaign contribution. However, public campaign records clearly showed proper in-kind disclosures by the board members. Post 7 representative Brad Wheeler dismissed the complaint as a “coordinated, desperate political attack,” noting the close ties between Seger and Essence Johnson, the current chairwoman of the Cobb County Democrat Party, who notarized the complaint.

Brad Wheeler Candidate for Cobb School Board Post 7
Brad Wheeler, Cobb County School Board Post 7

Observers have called Seger’s actions politically motivated, with one seasoned political analyst labeling the complaint a last-ditch attempt to save faltering Democrat campaigns.

Seger is no stranger to failure in her complaints. In March 2024, she unsuccessfully challenged Alicia Adams’ eligibility to run for Cobb County’s District 2 commission seat. Despite support from a Democrat-led Cobb County Board of Elections, court rulings ultimately allowed Adams to remain on the ballot. The courts affirmed that local governments could not override state law as enacted by the Georgia General Assembly.

Seger’s legal challenge have forced her to ask for financial assistance from the public, with a GoFundMe campaign,  Seger’s launched to cover legal fees for her eventually failed 2024 complaint raised $11,768 before being disabled in October 2024.

When asked about the commission’s dismissal, Wheeler hinted at the possibility of legal action against Seger for filing frivolous complaints. Wheeler and the other named board members have already spent $10,000 collectively on legal fees to defend themselves.  The Georgia code appears to allow individuals to recover attorney’s fees on frivolous filings.

This latest dismissal is a clear win for Cobb County’s Republican leadership on the Cobb Board of Education, highlighting what many see as the misuse of the ethics complaint process for partisan purposes.

Share this post :

Facebook
X
Reddit
LinkedIn
Threads
Email

Who is your target audience?

Get Your Ads On COBB VOICE
Latest News

Subscribe to Cobb Voice

Get the latest Cobb news delivered straight to your inbox. 

Your Business Could Be Seen Here

Get Your Ads On COBB VOICE

Your Business Could Be Seen Here.

Get Your Ads On COBB VOICE

Subscribe to Cobb Voice and get the latest Real News delivered straight to your inbox.