Gwinnett County

Governor suspends Snellville mayor following indictment on misuse of campaign funds

Tom Witts is facing 66 counts, including tax evasion and violation of oath by a public officer.

SNELLVILLE, Ga. — Gov. Nathan Deal has suspended Snellville Mayor Tom Witts from his office.

Witts is accused of using campaign funds to purchase a Caribbean cruise, airline tickets and a six-month subscription to porn sites, and is facing more than 60 felony charges.

In an executive order signed Wednesday, Deal suspended Witts as mayor of Snellville, effective immediately.

A commission comprising of Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, Mayor Vanessa Fleisch of Peachtree City and Mayor Steve Tumlin of Marietta recommended the governor suspend Witts following his indictment.

Witts took office in 2015 after a heated campaign against then-Mayor Kelly Kautz. Within a short time, Gwinnett County investigators began looking into suspected irregularities in his campaign spending and work his company did on City Hall.

Witts bonded out of jail with a signature in September and won't have to pay any of his $20,000 bond unless he fails to show up for any of his future court appearances.

The investigation into his finances has been going on for several years, according to Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter. Porter said Witts lied about owing taxes when he ran for office, and it spiraled from there.

Prosecutors had been investigating since a complaint was filed during the 2015 mayor's race.

Barbara Bender has been appointed acting mayor after Witts suspended himself from the job as mayor.