The Fulton County Board of Commissioners at the meeting on July 9, 2029.
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Two Democratic Fulton County commissioners are responding to a lawsuit filed by Republicans over their refusal to seat the GOP nominees to the county’s elections board.
Despite a recent court order, commissioners have refused to seat Jason Frazier and Julie Adams, claiming that both nominees had a history of challenging election results and ballots.
Now Dana Barrett, Mo Ivory, and three other commissioners could face possible civil and criminal penalties if a new emergency motion is approved by a judge.
The backstory:
Under Georgia law, the commission is required to appoint two people from the political parties that received the largest number of votes in the state - those being the Republicans and Democrats.
However, the Democratic commissioners have continued to table or vote against Frazier and Adams' nominations.
Adams, who had previously been a member of the board, controversially argued in 2024 that she should be allowed to withhold certification of the county's election if she believed the results were incorrect or unreliable. She had also refused to certify the results of the county's May 2024 primary election. Frazier has reportedly lodged thousands of voter registration challenges in Fulton County.
Earlier this month, a judge sided with the Republicans, saying there is no law that allows commissioners to veto Frazier and Adams' nominations. The commission is appealing that order.
The Fulton County officials' actions led to criticism by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who accused them of undermining public trust by picking which bipartisan appointees to approve.
Last week, Fulton County Republican Party filed an emergency motion asking a judge to fine each of the commissioners up to $1,000 per day and up to 20 days in jail for their refusal.
What they're saying:
Barrett had previously told FOX 5 that she would not vote to seat Adams or Frazier and would accept any punishment she received for her decision.
"We exercised our free will," she said. "I'm not going to be changing my vote, so if the board is going to get these two people seated, they are going to have to find four votes without me."
In a statement, the Democratic Party of Georgia party chair Charlie Bailey called the two nominees "election deniers."
"Republicans are so hell-bent on giving election deniers power to meddle in our elections that they're attempting to throw Fulton County Commissioners in jail for refusing to help them do so, even as the legal dispute is on appeal," Bailey said. "Seeking to punish your political opponents for taking a vote you don't like is as outrageous, undemocratic, and un-American as it gets. We stand with the Fulton County Commissioners as they, in turn, stand up for Fulton County voters and the integrity of our elections."
What's next:
Barrett and Ivory will hold a press conference at 9 a.m. to address the recent lawsuit and argue why the legal action "threatens local election integrity."
That press conference will happen on the steps of the Fulton County Superior Courthouse. FOX 5 will be there to cover it.
The Source: Information for this article came from a release by Commissioner Dana Barrett and previous FOX 5 reports.