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3w ago

Kemp Launches Second Misconduct Probe and Suspends Towns County Sheriff

A state-appointed three-member panel has 30 days to review new, separate allegations and the governor can extend the 60-day suspension if warranted.

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Georgia Governor Brian Kemp called for a special session of the Georgia General Assembly to redraw district maps following the Supreme Court decision in Louisiana and debate QR codes on ballots. The lawmakers will return to Atlanta on June 17, 2026.

Overview

  • Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order Saturday creating a second, separate misconduct investigation into Towns County Sheriff Ken Henderson and named Attorney General Chris Carr and Sheriffs Lenn Wood and Ezell Brown to lead it.
  • A day after creating the panel, Kemp suspended Henderson for 60 days and may extend that suspension by issuing another executive order for an additional period.
  • Kemp said the new allegations are "separate and distinct" from the earlier case that produced a Towns County grand jury indictment on seven charges tied to a December 2024 body‑camera confrontation with Hiawassee Officer José Carvajal.
  • The sheriff's office has faced broader integrity problems, including the arrest of former Major Johnny McCoy, felony charges against former Sgt. Andrew Glass, a missing department firearm, and the earlier indictment of former Deputy Austin Bradburn.
  • The panel must report to the governor within 30 days, a deadline that will shape whether state oversight of the sheriff's office deepens and could affect local policing operations and the timing of Henderson's criminal case.