Gwinnett County commissioners are taking public comment on an ethics complaint filed against commissioner Tommy Hunter before they make a decision on how to punish Hunter.
A county ethics board on Tuesday recommended that Hunter be publicly reprimanded for calling Congressman John Lewis a "racist pig" on Facebook back in January. Hunter also referred to Democrats as "Demon-rats" and "a bunch of idiots" in his social media posts.
The Gwinnett County Commission is now charged with acting on the recommendation from the ethics board. In a statement on the county website, commissioners said the public comment period is open through midnight, June 16, 2017. Commissioners also will take comment at a public hearing on June 20, 2017 in the auditorium of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center at 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville. The hearing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
A public reprimand, as recommended, is the most severe penalty that the ethics board could impose.
Hunter represents District 3 on the Board of Commissioners, which encompasses most the the east side of the county, including the Braselton and Auburn areas.
An Atlanta woman filed the formal ethics complaint against Hunter,