The races scheduled for tonight will be discussed later, but we begin with new developments in the controversy surrounding the Clayton County commissioner who claims she was drugged. Good evening and thank you for joining us.
I’m Russ Courtney Bryant. The board has appointed a new vice chair.
This position was vacant because commissioners recently voted to replace Felicia Franklin. Video footage showed her apparently passed out on the ground outside of Sports Bar Box. Christopher King is reporting live from Jonesborough tonight, where the board voted earlier.
Christopher? Right. Russ Courtney, the board appointed Demand Davis as the new vice chair. The board and voters believe it’s time to move forward. Commissioner Felicia Franklin quickly left the Clayton County board meeting and refused to answer our questions after fellow commissioners appointed Demand Davis as the new vice chair.
Removing Franklin from that role was seen as a questionable and unfair move according to some residents. Margaret Bryant, a concerned resident, believes the board should have shown more forgiveness, especially if Franklin has not done something that they should be ashamed of, as she is supposed to represent the people and her conduct reflects on the county.
Orlando Gooden says Franklin disappointed the people by being intoxicated and not being a good representative for the county. Franklin claims someone drugged her at a sports bar in late September.
However, law enforcement officers found no evidence to support her assertion. They released video footage showing then Vice Chair Franklin apparently passed out on the ground outside the bar.
Police also found that she had consumed several alcoholic drinks and had cannabis in her system based on a toxicology report. The video speaks for itself. Chairman Jeff Turner defended the decision to remove Franklin as vice chair, stating that commissioners must hold themselves to high standards as they represent the citizens of Clayton County. He believes that they need to present themselves in a way that the citizens can be proud of..
