Gov. Brian Kemp has suspended the chair of a county commission near the metro Atlanta area after the official was indicted on charges alleging he took a kickback on a real estate deal.
Kemp on Thursday suspended Newton County Commission Chairman Marcello Banes from office until the case is resolved or his term runs out. That also means the county won’t pay Banes’ salary for the suspension period unless he is cleared of the charges.
Banes and Newton County Commissioner-elect Stephanie Lindsey were both indicted in June on federal money laundering charges related to the 2019 sale of property by an economic development agency.
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