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Ethics complaints filed against Valdosta Mayor

Posted at 7:02 PM, Feb 09, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-09 19:02:16-05

VALDOSTA, Ga. (WTXL) — The Lowndes County NAACP and other groups filed formal ethics complaints today against Valdosta Mayor Scott Matheson.

The complaint states that comments and actions he made on his daily radio show "The Scott James Matheson Show" are divisive and inflammatory.

According to the complaint, one example of this behavior includes the mayor sitting quietly and not objecting as his cohost stated that voter suppression needed to be done.

The complaint also says the mayor has made disparaging racial comments and fails to give the appearance of being un-partial and unbiased. "As the mayor of Valdosta, he represents every single person," said Pastor Darren Neal, President of the Valdosta Lowndes Branch of the NAACP. "He represents every single nationality and group of people that call themselves the citizens of Valdosta. But by his statements, he's alienated those groups that he seems to have an unfavorable mindset towards or that he has some bias towards."

The groups are now calling for his immediate removal from office. ABC 27 did reach out to the mayor's office for comment. A spokesperson for the city says they'll speak with their lawyers before providing an official response.