ATLANTA (December 22, 2025) — Today, Sen. Emanuel Jones (D–Decatur) issued the following statement in response to the Henry County Ethics Board’s decision to investigate Commission Chair Carlotta Harrell for removing subpoenaed county employees from a November ethics hearing:
“The Henry County Ethics Board’s decision to advance an investigation stemming from the November ethics hearing raises serious concerns about its investigatory process and overreach. The Ethics Board was never intended to investigate human resources disputes arising from county employee matters. Its purpose is to hold public officials accountable when there is an allegation of a betrayal of the public’s trust.
This matter centers on a dispute over subpoenas and internal administrative authority involving county employees, an area outside the Ethics Board’s intended scope. After thorough consideration by the Henry County local delegation, and following consultation with both the Henry County Ethics Department and county government officials, Senate Bill 359 was introduced and supported by both the Senate and House Henry County Delegations to clarify this division of authority.
As the sponsor of SB 359, I have been clear that the bill establishes that the Ethics Board does not have purview over county employee matters and reinforces clear, consistent standards for handling ethics complaints involving elected officials. The Ethics Board itself agreed with this framework and supported SB 359. The bill is currently awaiting final passage on the House local consent calendar.
Given the agreement among the Ethics Board, county government and the Henry County Senate and House delegations, I firmly believe the Ethics Board should not have held a hearing that gave rise to the complaint against the commission chair. I am calling on the Henry County Ethics Board to honor the spirit and intent of SB 359 that all parties have already agreed to and allow this matter to be resolved under a clear and consistent framework.”
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Sen. Emanuel Jones represents the 10th Senate District, which includes a portion of DeKalb County. He may be reached at 404-656-0502 or via email at Emanuel.Jones@senate.ga.gov.
For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.