The Clayton Crescent has confirmed “threats” have been made against Clayton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jeffrey Turner.
A reliable source told The Clayton Crescent that Turner had received a written death threat and that the threat was forwarded to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
GBI spokesperson Nelly Miles issued this statement in response to The Clayton Crescent’s request for confirmation:
“The GBI is investigating allegations of threats made against the Chairman of the Clayton County Board of Commissioners, Jeff Turner. Agents are working with Clayton County officials. This is an active investigation.”
The GBI did not confirm the specific nature of those threats.
The news comes amid numerous allegations that suspended Clayton County Sheriff Victor Hill is attempting a political takeover of the BOC and the Clayton County Police Department. The Clayton Crescent has not been able to verify those claims independently. As of press time, The Clayton Crescent cannot confirm whether the alleged threats are directly related to anyone connected to Hill or CCSO.
“The GBI is investigating allegations of threats made against the Chairman of the Clayton County Board of Commissioners, Jeff Turner. Agents are working with Clayton County officials. This is an active investigation.”
GBI Spokesperson nelly miles
In recent weeks, CCSO deputies have been present in chambers, apparently serving as security detail for Commissioners Alieka Anderson, Felicia Franklin, and Gail Hambrick. The three commissioners have formed a de facto 3-2 voting bloc against Turner and Commissioner DeMont Davis and stripped Turner of his ability to sign county contract change orders. Hill and his associate, former CCSO Chief of Staff Mitzi Bickers, have backed Anderson, Franklin, and Davis’ most recent opponent, Janice Scott, in election bids. Bickers is awaiting sentencing on nine federal counts, including bribery, related to the contract scandal at Atlanta City Hall.
Multiple sources told The Clayton Crescent that CCSO and CCPD officers had a dispute recently near Turner’s office, allegedly because CCSO had not informed CCPD that it had been assigned to provide a security detail. The Clayton Crescent also asked for and received CCPD’s policy on security details, dating from Turner’s time as CCPD police chief:
In response to an Open Records Request about the alleged incident, the county denied that a “scuffle,” as sources had described it to The Clayton Crescent, had taken place.
Staff Attorney India Keefover wrote, “This office has reviewed its files and has located responsive records to your request. After personally investigating this matter and speaking with multiple firsthand witnesses to the interchange between CCPD and CCSO in front of the Chairman’s office, two verified sources have attested that there was no “scuffle” and that there is no video surveillance in the location where the interaction took place. CCPD does have a responsive SOP, CCPD-D11 – Executive Protection. This file is now available for you to view, with no redactions, in the GovQA request attachments tab. I am awaiting a response regarding SOP from CCSO and anticipate a full release in the event such a document becomes available, subject to any applicable exemptions.”
Other information about similar Open Records Requests was pending at press time.
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Thorough and complete reporting. You are the best. Thank you Robin Kemp
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