Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears will pay the sum from her own wallet, not her campaign coffers, as part of a pair of consent orders approved by the state Ethics Commission on Thursday.
Sears was facing ethics complaints from her 2004 re-election campaign. They alleged that the state's first female chief justice accepted contributions exceeding the state's $5,000 legal limit, including one $20,000 donation from a law firm. Sears also acknowledged misreporting some campaign finance information as part of Thursday's consent order.
``She is pleased to have these lingering issues from her 2004 campaigns resolved,'' court spokeswoman Jane Hansen said.
The Ethics Commission on Thursday also slapped four current members of the Legislature with hefty late fees for repeatedly failing to file required campaign finance reports. The commission found probable cause to proceed with investigations of the three Democrats and one Republican, who could face additional penalties down the road.
Rep. Pam Stephenson, D-Atlanta, faces $825 in tardy fees, Rep. Randal Mangham, D-Decatur, $775, Rep. Ron Sailor, D-Decatur, $1,225, and Rep. Jay Neal, R-LaFayette, $1,225.
Neal said he did not know about Thursday's hearing.
``But I am aware that I have not met all the deadlines with respect to my campaign disclosures and I certainly intend to comply,'' Neal said.
Mangham, Sailor and Stephenson did not return phone calls seeking comment.
The commission dismissed a complaint against Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Vernon Jones alleging that the DeKalb County chief executive officer improperly used his government position to back a 2005 bond initiative. The allegation dismissed by the state ethics panel also named members of the DeKalb County Commission, including now U.S.-Rep. Hank Johnson.
But the commission found probable cause to investigate parts of an ethics complaint against failed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cathy Cox. The charges stem from Cox's 2001 re-election for secretary of state.
The commission found probable cause to investigate charges that Cox failed to properly report a $4,000 reimbursement she made to herself from campaign funds. It also said that she failed to adequately list where some credit card payments went.
Cox's lawyer argued that the charges at issue were a small part of her overall fundraising and that she was in substantial compliance with the ethics law.
On The Net:
State Ethics Commission: http://ethics.georgia.gov
http://accesswdun.com/article/2007/11/204471