Candidate In SD-54 Race Unaware Of Hearing On Possible Campaign Finance Violations

The Dalton Daily Citizen has an article saying that Conda Goodson, a Republican candidate in the Senate District 54 special election, was unaware that the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission (formerly, the State Ethics Commission) voted 4-0 to move forward with a hearing on possible campaign finance violations.  From the Daily Citizen:

“The case now proceeds to a final hearing,” said Robert Lane, co-deputy executive director of the commission. “That will be done in front of the Office of State Administrative Hearings. That hearing hasn’t been scheduled yet.”

…”This is the first I’ve heard of it,” [Conda Goodson] said Friday afternoon. “The lady I have been talking to told me something different. I guess I will have to call them Monday to find out what’s going on.”

Ms. Goodson looks to have four unpaid late fees, totaling $500, with one related to her financial disclosure (due on March 22, 2016) and the other 3 related to contribution disclosures (those three were due on January 31, 2016, September 30, 2016, and October 25, 2016) according to the state ethics commission site.

I don’t know if this is an oversight or a simple mistake, but I would hope that candidates running for public office are checking to make sure that they are filing the necessary forms to ensure that they are complying with state law.  We are, after all, entrusting these people to represent us.  If the way she’s handling her ethics disclosures is an indication of her performance as state senator, I would be concerned if I were a member of her constituency.

The special election to fill Senator Charlie Bethel’s seat, who was appointed as a judge to the Georgia Court of Appeals, will be held this coming Tuesday, December 13th.