Canton Tea Party Ethics Case Turned Over To State Attorney General

The case against a Canton Tea Party leader has been turned over to the Georgia Attorney General's Office to sort out.  

The Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission on Wednesday decided to turn the ethics charges against Carolyn Cosby, leader of the Canton Tea Party Patriots, over to the state agency.

Holly LaBerge, executive director of the commission, said the case was sent to the office "since probable cause was found by the Commission."

"We presented this case to the Commission for probable cause since we were not able to work out a compliance or consent order with the respondent," she added. "The Attorney General's office will handle this case in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act." 

Cosby was accused by former County Commissioner Karen Bosch of raising money to influence voters on which candidates to support in the July 31 primary. 

Georgia Assistant Attorney General Kelly Campanella said the office will most likely receive the case file early next week.

Then, officials with the office will work with Cosby and her legal counsel to agree to a consent order, meaning Cosby would agree to violating state ethics laws and pay a fine.

If Cosby doesn't agree to the order, Campanella said she will then have a hearing before the Georgia Office of State Administrative Hearings in which she will be tried for the charges.

Cosby on Thursday declined to comment on the case moving to the Attorney General's Office, but added the case appear to now be a "non-issue" for Bosch and former District 2 County Commissioner Jim Hubbard, who both filed ethics complaints against her and Cherokee Tea Party Patriots leader Conrad Quagliaroli last year.

"It looks like they have lost interest in the case since they lost re-election," she said. "There are still some outstanding issues being resolved. I'll be glad to comment once this reaches conclusion."

Bosch did not lose re-election; she decided not to seek a third-term as the District 3 commissioner. Hubbard lost his seat in a run-off against former Cherokee Fire Chief Ray Gunnin.

The Commission ordered the case against Quagliaroli be resolved through a compliance order, which LaBerge said will be formally agreed to during the next commission meeting. 

A compliance order is "a written document wherein the Commission and the Respondent agree and consent to terms which may include findings of fact, conclusions of law, cease and desist language, remedial action to be taken, oral or written statements to be made or issued, prohibition of actual or threatened violations, the ordering of actions necessary to correct cited deficiencies and a waiver of any appeal rights."  

Bosch last year brought forth complaints that the Cherokee Tea Party Patriots was collecting money and using those funds to convince voters to defeat the regional sales tax referendum to fund transportation projects. 

She also accused the Canton Tea Party Patriots of raising money to influence voters on which candidates to support in the July 31 primary.

Bosch noted in her charge that neither tea party organizations were registered with the state commission as a political action committee or an independent committee, which would make their activity a violation of Georgia ethics laws.

Cosby was told through a consent order in December she had to respond in 15 days to charges of inappropriate campaign activities or face a $12,000 fine, which she did not do. 

A consent order is a document used to settle cases that come before commission. Both the commission and respondent agree to settle the terms of the case, which include admissions of violations by those responding to the charges, findings of fact, conclusions of the law and sanctions. 

Cosby, who didn't agree to the consent order, and her group of vocal backers have been relentless in their critique of the failed Ball Ground Recycling venture.

They were also critical of the Cherokee County parks bond initiative, which voters approved in 2008 a $90 million parks bond that would be used to enhance the county's parks and recreation amenities. 

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