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Community › Photo Gallery › Viewing 'Is Van Ness Guilty and Unethical ???' by ndove

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0 photos - created by ndove - 5 views Is Van Ness Guilty and Unethical ???

Album Cover MEDIA RELEASE By Maynard Eaton ________________ __________________________________________________________________ ROCKDALE COUNTY NEWS: "IS VAN NESS GUILTY?" __________________________________________________________________ (CONYERS, GA) October 29, 2010. After months of trying to vilify her dynamic opponent Courtney Dillard with a vicious smear campaign, it has been revealed that Post 2 Commission incumbent, JaNice Van Ness, has been strong-arming Rockdale County employees to volunteer, contribute to and vote for her candidacy. A Rockdale County resident recently filed an ethics complaint against Rockdale County Commissioner JaNice Van Ness. “To me it casts dispersions on her decision making,” says Stan Williams, the Rockdale Democratic Party chairman. “If it’s not illegal or immoral, it’s definitely unethical.” Beginning on or about May 14, 2010 Rockdale County employees and staff started receiving improper campaign "email" solicitations from Commissioner Van Ness using county equipment on county property. By May 17th Rockdale County employees notified the Human Resource Department about the solicitation. The Human Resource Manager, Jeff Pogue in turn notified the Chief of Staff and Rockdale’s Chief Executive Officer. “It is inappropriate for any political information by any candidate to be sent or distributed to the work place of county employees,” advised Chief of Staff, Greg Pridgeon. In the complaint Michael Minkoff, a Democrat, alleged that JaNice Van Ness, did knowingly, willfully and intentionally violate provisions of § 21-5-30.1 of the Georgia Ethics in Government Act. Article 4. Public Official Conduct and Lobbyist Disclosure. #1) JaNice Van Ness used public networks (county property) to distribute campaign materials to influence county employees for her campaign. #2) JaNice Van Ness exercised undue influence over county employees and staff to solicit financial contributions, political support and votes. O.C.G.A. § 21-5-30.1 (d)(2) It shall be unlawful for any regulated entity or elected executive officer to require another by coercive action to make any such contribution. “As a sitting Commissioner, I wonder how you could legally justify a decision to circulate information to a county employee(s) that actually asks for their vote, financial contributions, and promotes your candidacy,” says Williams incredulously. “I am looking at a campaign letter that was circulated in county offices to county employees. This troubles me and it definitely shows why we need a formal county ethics policy.” On that point, I am in agreement with statements made by Ms. Van Ness and Mr. Dillard at a recent forum. During a forum with the Annsbrooke Homeowners Association on Tuesday October 26th both Dillard and Van Ness agreed that a Rockdale County ethics law needs to be enacted to buttress the state ethics law that elected officials must currently adhere to. “My code of ethics is very high,” she said disingenuously. That's not all, Van Ness is also improperly utilizing pictures of county employees in her campaign literature / materials without authorization to exploit their image for campaign purposes, opines one Rockdale County staffer who requested anonymity out of concern for her job. “The advertisement suggests that [Lamar Sims, Director of the Rockdale County Board of Assessors] is in favor of her campaign,” Williams complains. “But whether he is or not, it’s not good judgment to feature an executive level employee in a picture that is an advertisement for your campaign.” “This suggests to me that there’s been foul play with the JaNice Van Ness campaign ever since January 1st,” Dillard caustically contends. “She’s been trying to coerce county employees for all of 2010; she’s been trying to use her influence as a sitting commissioner to get people to vote for her. I believe she’s been sending campaign information to county computers, using county telephones and leaving information about her campaign on the desks of county employees. At the same time she has tried to smear the Dillard campaign based primarily on allegations and innuendos. JaNice Van Ness is not being honest with Rockdale citizens." Last week Dillard faced a similar ethics complaint, one designed to smear his surging campaign in the final week before Election Day. A local Republican gadfly, Donald Myer, alleged that the Dillard campaign accepted political donations before having the necessary political committee disclosure forms on file. The Rockdale County Board of Elections superintendent Cynthia Welch said when asked, "the Dillard campaign filed the necessary committee information with the county Board of Elections, which has been on file since June 1, 2010 as required by Georgia law." Seemingly the complaint against Dillard is just one more frivolous and completely baseless political attack and merely the latest in a series of false allegations aimed at disparaging Dillard and derailing the Dillard Campaign. It hasn’t worked!!! ###