Former Ga. candidate for governor (and racist) indicted

https://www.ajc.com/news/local/former-candidate-for-governor-indicted/mFyt65azxuJhQPu5ANuRbJ/




State Sen. Michael Williams, who waged a controversial campaign for governor this year, was charged this week with making a false report that computer servers were stolen from his campaign office shortly before his last-place finish in the May primary.

The indictment, obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, accuses the Forysth County Republican of insurance fraud, making a false statement and false report of a crime.

Williams, a Forsyth County Republican who remains in office until January, declined to comment. His former campaign manager, Seth Weathers, said it was a “political witch hunt” and is without merit.

“I guess it’s the price you pay for being a fearless conservative,” said Weathers, invoking a campaign slogan. “Like they say, a grand jury can indict a ham sandwich.”

Hall County District Attorney Lee Darragh said Williams is making arrangements to turn himself in. He declined further comment.

The charges issued Tuesday by Hall County authorities relate to a May incident where Williams reported that his Gainesville office was burglarized. At the time, Weathers said $300,000 worth of computers servers were taken from the building.

Williams is accused of lying to a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent when he said he was at home in Forsyth County, not in the Gainesville area at the time of the purported burglary. The indictment, which doesn’t say what allegedly actually happened to the servers, accuses him of making a false insurance claim related to the servers.