Governor’s office receives indictment against Dawson mayor

ALBANY — Gov. Nathan Deal’s office confirmed Tuesday that the felony indictment against Dawson Mayor Christopher Wright had been received by the office.

Wright was indicted in June on charges of aggravated child molestation, aggravated sodomy, rape, child molestation and statutory rape. More recently, Wright was cited July 16 in Albany on charges of impersonating a police officer, blue lights restricted and driving aggressively.

“Our office received the indictment for the charges in June,” said Alyssa Botts, Deal’s press secretary. “From there, we (the governor’s office) will set up a committee, and usually the city will be asked to send a list of names that would be willing to serve as mayor. The governor would then pick from that list.”

The Official Code of Georgia empowers the governor to appoint a review commission in cases in which a felony indictment in state or federal court relates to the “performance or activities of the office of any public official” once the governor’s office receives a certified copy of the indictment from the attorney general or a district attorney.

“The governor can impanel a three-member panel that includes the attorney general and two elected officials,” Botts said. “A recommendation from the panel could result in Wright being temporarily removed from office until his trial is over or the case is resolved. The City Council also has the option to vote and ask said mayor to resign, or they can do nothing.”

According to Dawson City Manager Barney Parnacott, the City Council has not voted to ask Wright to resign, although many citizens have expressed concern.

“There has been talk among citizens of the embarrassment and of their wishes that the mayor resign from office,” Parnacott said.

Wright has declared he will not step down as mayor.

According to Georgia Code, no review commission can be appointed for a period of 14 days from the day the governor receives the indictment, a period that can be extended by the governor. During that waiting period, an indicted public official write the governor, authorizing the governor to suspend him or her from office. Any such voluntary suspension would be subject to the same conditions for review, reinstatement or declaration of vacancy as are provided for non-voluntary suspension.

“We have sent the notice to the governor’s office,” said District Attorney Craig Earnest of the Patuala Judicial Circuit. “We sent a copy of the indictment, and the case was continued this term of court at the request of the defendant’s attorney. We have really done all that we can do. Now it is in the governor’s hands.”

If a commission is appointed by Deal, a determination will be made as to whether Wright’s indictment relates to and adversely affects the administration of the office of mayor and that the rights and interests of the public are adversely affected. If so, the commission could recommend that Wright be suspended.

If the commission were recommend suspension, Deal would review the findings and recommendations, but would not be obligated to follow that recommendation.

“They (the commission) would determine if he would be removed, and they would recommend that back to the governor,” Dawson City Attorney Tommy Coleman said. “He may or may not suspend him. The governor doesn’t have to do any of those things. There are some legal things with this. The offense has to be, according to the code, something related to the conduct of the office. I think the issue that the governor’s lawyer, in requesting the panel to be done, is, ‘Are they related to your conduct or how you operate in the city?’”

If Wright were to be suspended, the suspension would last until the final disposition of the case or until the expiration of his term of office, whichever comes first, according to Georgia Code. During that time, Wright would continue to receive compensation for his office.

According to officials, Wright’s current mayoral term expires Dec. 31.

“If convicted, Wright would officially be removed as mayor, he’s out of there,” Coleman said. “Otherwise, if the case is overturned, even if he was suspended, he would be reinstated as mayor.”