East Point Mayor Sued by Resident and has Possible Ethics Violations

The East Point Mayor Earnestine Pittman is battling both a law suit from two residents wanting her out of office, but also an ethics hearing on Monday that said she violated the oath of office. 

According to an AJC report, "Collins and fellow East Point resident Dustin Drabot filed a lawsuit Friday, Aug. 10, to have Pittman removed from office. Collins said Pittman has violated her oath of office, failed to follow city ordinances and has violated the city charter and the state code."

Mayor Pittman ordered Mrs Collins off the board of the Housing Authority on August 5th, for what the mayor says is a violation of terms.  The mayor insists that Collins was never re-appointed to her position on the board and should have vacated the position 3 years ago.

On Monday, an ethics violation hearing was held to investigate claims that Mayor Pittman broke the city charter.  According to CBS Atlanta, the ethics officer found that, "Pittman created a conflict of interest when she sued her own city over utility rate hikes in November of last year."  The online report also indicates that the mayor violated the city charter, "when she attempted to keep then city manager Crandall Jones from receiving his severance package after the city council fired him."

Between the lawsuit and the ethics hearing, Mayor Pittman has had a tough few days in the political cross-hairs.  The City Council will now have to decide on how to punish/sanction the Mayor for the ethics issues.  The courts will have to settle the lawsuits.

Stay with Cascade Patch as this story develops.