CAMILLA, Ga. (WALB) - Some Camilla residents say they are standing by the mayor, even after Governor Brian Kemp officially suspended him from office.

“I think it’s a bunch of BS. There’s so much that I could say, so much that I want to say. But I’m gonna keep it professional,” said Scarlette Wimberly, a Camilla resident.

The Executive Order suspending Mayor Kelvin Owens comes after he was indicted on May 28 for charges of election interference and conspiracy to commit election fraud. The indictment accuses Mayor Owens of locking the doors to the polling place on Election Day last November, causing voting to start in the afternoon.

“They didn’t have an Elections Supervisor or anyone to run the election. The secretary of state didn’t send anybody here. So, if the secretary of state didn’t send anybody here, how you gonna hold the election when you don’t have the officials to do so? What else was he supposed to do?” asked Wimberly.

The Governor’s Office was made aware of the indictment and created a commission to review Owens’ alleged offenses on June 17. The members of the review commission were Attorney General Christopher Carr, Mayor Garnett Johnson of Augusta, and Mayor LaRhonda Patrick of Warner Robins.

“The reality is you cannot cancel an election. Ultimately, it’s going to be up to the jury to decide whether or not this was or was not criminal conduct. The reality is, a lot of people lost their right to vote that day,” said Christopher Cohilas, a local attorney.

WALB met up with Mayor Kelvin Owens briefly, and he gave a statement. He said, “I look forward to continuing to help this city move forward in any way I can. The one message I have for our awesome citizens is to stay encouraged.”

“Man... to go through all of this, for somebody who is actually fighting for the people, to be suspended off a, I don’t even know, a technicality? It’s not right. It’s just not right,” said another Camilla resident.

According to Governor Kemp’s Executive Order, “Mr. Kelvin M. Owens is hereby suspended from office immediately and without further action pending the final disposition of the case or until the expiration of his term of office, whichever occurs first.”

RELATED COVERAGE:

• Gov. Kemp suspends Camilla mayor from office effective immediately
• Camilla hosts first city council meeting since arrest of mayor, 2 other officials
• Camilla mayor, city clerk, elections supervisor released on bond
• Bond hearing set for Camilla mayor, city clerk and election superintendent
• Camilla special election voting canceled after election superintendents resign
• Camilla mayor speaks to WALB following special election results
• Ga. Supreme Court issues new order in Camilla election case
• GBI investigating allegations of election interference in Camilla

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