Gwinnett County Commissioner Tommy Hunter files federal lawsuit over public reprimand

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - The Gwinnett County commissioner who was reprimanded for calling Congressman John Lewis a "racist pig" is now suing over the decision.

In a federal lawsuit filed just last week, Tommy Hunter is asking for $5 million in damages.

The lawsuit claims that public reprimand violated Hunter's right to free speech and has caused economic damage.

RELATED: Residents demand commissioner resign after calling John Lewis 'racist pig'

%INLINE%

Hunter made his controversial statement in a Facebook post in 2017 during the Martin Luther King Jr holiday weekend.

Hunter remains on the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners.

If you don't have a PDF plugin, but you can download the PDF file.