Fulton County Republican Party Chairman Trey Kelly is condemning “an explicit conflict of interest in the county’s elections office involving top elections official Ralph Jones Sr. and his son.” In a letter to Fulton County Commission Chairman Rob Pitts, he calls for firing senior Jones since Ralph Jr. identifies himself on his social media accounts as communications director for the campaign of Democratic Senator-elect Raphael Warnock.
“The two have a history of supporting specific candidates on the ballot in Fulton County,” Kelly says. About three years ago current Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ campaign paid more than $3,600 to the firm RJ Mays Consulting LLC. RJ Mays Consulting LLC.’s Registered Agent, Ralph Sr. was registration chief of the county’s election department at that time— and still is. Ralph Jr. was listed as the company’s “incorporator.” Jones Jr. served as social media communications director for Democrat Bottoms’ campaign, later went to work for Bottoms after she won the election and now works with Warnock.
“Why does Jones Sr. still serve as a top elections official in Fulton, the largest county in Georgia, overseeing absentee ballots and registration? He should be removed immediately by county Elections Director Richard Barron for this blatant conflict of interest in what is supposed to be a non-partisan elections process,” Kelly emphasizes.
“Three years ago,” Kelly continues, “the Secretary of State’s office conducted a forensic review of the Dec. 5 mayoral runoff election between Bottoms and opponent Mary Norwood– a contest decided by 821 votes. Reports noted that probe involved irregularities related to absentee ballots, which fall under the senior Jones’ responsibilities. Now here we go again during this controversial election. Let me quote former federal prosecutor Caren Morrison, now a Georgia State University Law professor: ‘It’s a really bad look. … It’s about the most obviously stupid thing you could possibly do. It’s almost like saying, having a big arrow going, ‘Hey, look at me, I’m doing something corrupt. Check it out.’”
