Two politicians accused of misconduct in office are challenging whether local ethics boards should even exist, arguing that elected officials are already held accountable by voters and the court system.
Gwinnett County Commissioner Tommy Hunter and ex-DeKalb County Commission Sharon Barnes Sutton say in separate lawsuits that county ethics agencies looking into their cases are acting like an unaccountable "prosecutor, judge and jury."
They've already won an initial battle, and their war my eventually be decided in the Georgia Supreme Court.
But in the meantime, the public is left to wonder: Are local ethics boards worth it?
“All of us should abide by the laws of this country,” Dwight Thomas, the attorney representing both Hunter and Barnes Sutton, said. “And if you don’t like those laws, change those laws.”
