Bosch's Ex Files Ethics Complaint

One week after , Keith “Eddie” Mahurin filed an ethics complaint today with the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission.

Mahurin and the Canton Tea Party had called for a full grand jury investigation.

"District Attorney Garry Moss advised Mahurin that a criminal charge would be difficult test to meet, but that it was a definite matter for consideration of the Ethics Committee," Mahurin and Tea Party chairwoman Carolyn Cosby said in a joint statement. 

Mahurin said he "brought this information forward because of the Bobo deal in the county." 

Bobo is the man at the center of a controversy that has been brewing for the past month. Cherokee commissioners in 2007 financed his recycling facility with an $18 million bond issue, according to the Cherokee Ledger-News. 

When Bobo failed to make payments owed on the bonds, the county in February moved $1.8 million out of Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funds into the general fund to cover the payments on the debt.

"There has not been any reason that makes sense for the Bobo deal, but corrupt cronyism," Mahurin said. "This evidence shows that the Citizens’ Committee led by the Canton Tea Party is right on. Bobo was attempting to buy his business deal through campaign donations while hiding his name."

Last Tuesday, Cosby held a press conference on the steps of the  and accused Bobo of making "illegal cash campaign contributions to influence commissioner votes." Mahurin was at the press conference, but didn't make any comments.

Related: .

Cosby, according to the , said before the 2004 primary, Mahurin received a call from Bosch telling him that Bobo would be coming by his office to leave a campaign contribution.

"Bobo did come by and took cash out of his pocket and asked for 10 envelopes," Cosby said. "Bobo then put a $100 bill in each envelope and wrote various names on the outside. Eddie took the envelopes home and gave them to his wife. Some time later, the envelopes were found by Mr. Mahurin in an old campaign folder left in a box in his attic."

Related: See the verbatim text of Mahurin's affidavit and a press release announcing today's ethics complaint at the bottom of this story.

Candidates do not have to record the names of contributors who give $100 or less, according to state law.

Bosch told the Cherokee Tribune that the accusations leveled against her are false and part of her ex-husband's efforts to discredit her.

She has filed her own complaint against the Canton Tea Party, according to the .

Bosch, who is , said the Tea Party is not a registered political action or independent committee, but collects money to influence public opinion in local elections.

TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT

Date: May 29, 2012

To: All Local Media

From: Review and Recommendation Committee to Assist County Government

Contacts: 

Mrs. Carolyn H. T. Cosby, Chairman: 770-735-3521

Mr. Eddie Mahurin: 678-779-3758 

Message:

BOSCH and BOBO Named in

Illegal Cash Campaign Donations Ethics Complaint

 On Tuesday, Mr. Keith “Eddie” Mahurin officially submitted an ethics complaint with the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission via U.S. mail. Identifying the names of Ms. Karen Bosch and that of Mr. Jimmie Bobo as involved in the complaint.

The decision came after discussions with District Attorney Garry Moss. Moss advised Mahurin that a criminal charge would be difficult test to meet, but that it was a definite matter for consideration of the Ethics Committee.

Mahurin moved forward with the matter, despite Bosch’s decision not to seek another term because, Mahurin said, “I brought this information forward because of the Bobo deal in the county. There has not been any reason that makes sense for the Bobo deal, but corrupt cronyism. This evidence shows that the Citizens’ Committee led by the Canton TEA PARTY is right on. Bobo was attempting to buy his business deal through campaign donations while hiding his name.”

BOSCH HAD PRIOR RELATIONSHIP WITH BOBO

Mahurin said, Ms. Bosch’s statement that she did not know Bobo prior to her 2004 election is absolutely false. She was very well connected prior to her election as she had served as the campaign manager for Ilona Sanders before launching her own campaign as Sanders’ challenger, Mahurin said, “Bosch spent time with Bobo looking over his project and the potential for the recycling business.”

Cosby argued, “Why would Bobo collect donations from 10 different people to make a $1000 cash donation to someone he didn’t know? Of course, that explanation does not make sense.” Cosby said she has consulted with dozens of local campaigns and “fundraising is very hard work. Thousands of dollars does not just show up without some form of solicitation or a relationship. Either Bosch knew Bobo and had asked for his financial support, or, it was clear to Bobo that she was a vote he could buy.” 

COSBY QUESTIONS COMMISSIONER’S JUMP IN FUNDING

Cosby continued, “There has not been a satisfactory explanation as to why BOC members led by Jim Hubbard would set-up such an indefensible and unbelievable “sweetheart” deal.

Cosby cited the extraordinarily high jump in undisclosed campaign funds leading up to and surrounding the Bobo deal in 2007. Cosby cited Commissioner Jim Hubbard’s campaign funds in 2004 when the deal was being set-up by Hubbard. In that year he received $7,174 dollars with nearly 60% of his donations from undisclosed, unidentified donations.

Commissioner Johnston collected $13,225 in undisclosed campaign contributions in 2006, the year just previous to the Bobo bond deal.

Cosby said, the public deserves an explanation. She said, “The lack of outrage, and the lack of a satisfactory explanation looks very, very bad for the commissioners.”

COSBY CALLS ETHICS CHARGES BY BOSCH A “FISHING EXPEDITION”

Cosby concluded her statements with response to the unconfirmed ethics complaint by Bosch against Cosby’s Tea Party group. “Bosch is on a fishing expedition ‘hoping’ to find something.” Cosby said, her group has neither endorsed candidates nor referendum issues. “No money has been raised or spent for such a purpose.  Ms. Bosch has no evidence to the contrary,” said Cosby.

Cosby added, “The reach of our TEA PARTY group is so influential, that the perception is a powerful, political machine.” However, Cosby said, “Thus far, though we admit to a large base of volunteer support and we are highly effective in getting out our message, we have not engaged in direct electioneering that would bring us under election laws. Cosby said the group expects to go forward with an official voter education plan soon.

Complaint Form III. Statement of Facts

I am filing this complaint because I believe I was used to cover for an illegal campaign contribution to Ms. Karen Bosch, my former wife, for Mr. Jimmie Bobo. 

As the affidavit states, Mr. Bobo came by my office to make a contribution to her campaign. Mr. Bobo then attempted to conceal his contribution by writing names on blank envelopes.

His cash donation of $1000 was never reported on her campaign reports during the election of 2004.

The donation exceeds the legal limit of $100 for undisclosed campaign donations and is in violation of the GA Ethics Laws 21-5-30 regarding Campaign Contributions. 

Statement of Affidavit of Mr. Keith “Eddie” Mahurin

Personally appeared before the undersigned officer authorized to administer oaths Keith E. Mahurin, who, being duly sworn, states on oath that the facts contained in this affidavit are true and correct based upon his personal knowledge. My name is Keith Edward “Eddie” Mahurin. I am 54 years of age. I was married to Karen Mahurin, now Karen Bosch, on August 10, 1981. During her campaign for Cherokee County Commissioner during 2004, before July, she told me that Jimmy Bobo was going to drop by my business and leave a campaign contribution for her. Jimmy Bobo came to my business, which was located 825 Jamerson Road, Marietta, GA a few days later. He came in and identified himself as Jimmy Bobo. He took cash out of his pocket and indicated that he had a campaign contribution for Karen. He asked if I had any envelopes, which I gave handed him some and he placed a $100 bill in each of ten envelopes. He wrote names on the outside of each envelope and handed them to me. I took the envelopes home and gave them to Karen that night. She took the envelopes. The next time I saw the envelopes is when I found them in her old campaign folder, which she left in a box of files at out old residence  there was no cash in the envelopes at that time.

On a later date, soon after her election, Karen told me that she had met with Jimmy Bobo to tour the back property of his mulching operation on Highway 92 in Cherokee County.

Signed and sworn by:  Mr. Keith Mahurin on May 19, 2012

Copies of the envelopes have been submitted with the following names:

Leon Bobo, Loretta Bobo, David Bobo, Pam Bobo, Nancy Sams, Waverly Thornton, Charles Bishop, Weymon Anderson, Tom Bainette, Tracy Bainette