A former Warner Robins official who has been exonerated of criminal charges brought by other city officials, is now seeking to protect his constitutional rights in a federal court. This action comes after an independent prosecutor confirmed that the elements of the crime Gary Lee was charged with were never present, and “clearing Lee of the wrongful indictment and arrest that disrupted his life.”
According to his attorneys, Lee – the former Warner Robins economic development director – filed the federal lawsuit last week, claiming that criminal charges against him were manufactured by Warner Robins ex-Mayor Randy Toms and former District Attorney George Hartwig.
His attorneys told James Magazine Online that lawsuit claims that Lee’s report of a false entry in his personnel file led to something much larger: criminal charges for allegedly falsely reporting a crime. According to the lawsuit, that charge was dropped in 2023.
According to Lee’s attorneys, the lawsuit says that Lee saw an entry in his file, falsely showing that he attended a program for employees dealing with substance abuse. Lee claimed that was completely untrue, so he reported it to Toms. Instead of addressing the entry, Lee says that Toms used his complaint “as a pretext to suspend Mr. Lee, have Mr. Lee indicted, and to have Mr. Lee prosecuted,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit alleges that Toms and former Hartwig worked together to bring charges against Lee. It also says a law clerk working for Hartwig told him there were no grounds for charges — and charging him would likely violate Lee’s constitutional rights.
Despite this, the lawsuit says, Hartwig filed charges anyway. Reports indicate an affidavit filed by the law student said that Hartwig decided to “selective prosecute” Lee. The report goes on to say that Lee was later suspended as economic-development director due to the criminal charges, but that was reversed after the council found the city wrongly handled the situation.
“The case should’ve been handled as an administrative whistleblower case, not a legal issue,” attorneys for Lee told JMO. They said that caused unneeded harm against Lee.
According to reports, the charges were eventually dropped back in 2023 by an outside prosecutor brought into the case. In justifying the decision, they said there was not enough evidence to prove Lee made a false statement or falsely report of a crime.
Preston Haliburton, one of the attorneys for Lee said, “We want to thank Attorney General Chris Carr for his wise decision to refer this matter to an independent prosecutor’s office, ensuring a fair and impartial review. Gary comes from a strong bloodline of courage and conviction. His grandmother, Ada Lee, marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement, and that legacy of resilience sustained him throughout this ordeal. We are optimistic that the new leadership of Mayor Patrick and the dedicated members of the City Council will correct the injustices of past administrations. We also hope to see future protections for whistleblowers like Gary, who act in the public interest.”
“Gary Lee’s rights clearly appear to have been violated, and the community deserves answers. Now that he’s fully cleared, we expect the City to finally do what is right,” Haliburton added.
“This case is about accountability. Gary Lee’s name is clean, and now the truth must be addressed openly and honestly.”
Attorney Konrad Ziegler added: “Gary Lee’s rights clearly appear to have been violated, and the community deserves answers. Now that he’s fully cleared, we expect the City to finally do what is right. Gary hopes this moment marks the beginning of meaningful reform, greater transparency, and renewed trust between the City of Warner Robins and the people it serves.”
Lee has since left Warner Robins and joined the city of Fort Valley, where he is now city administrator.
