Resident alleges deputy listened to executive session; commission attorney to follow up

A resident, Bennett O'Donnell, told the Commission of the Unified Government of Cusseta–Chattahoochee County on May 7 that a county deputy appeared to try to listen at the door during a prior executive session and then confronted him in a hallway, at one point turning on a body camera. O'Donnell said he did not consent to being monitored and asked for the commission to investigate and consider bringing in outside law enforcement.

"Just because he is a law officer does not mean he is above the law," O'Donnell said, describing the hallway encounter and his belief that the deputy's supervisor was present while the deputy attempted to listen.

Chairman Charles Coffey acknowledged the complaint and said the county attorney had mentioned sending a letter; Coffey said the commission would follow up after the meeting. The minutes record that the county attorney planned to send correspondence to the complainant.

The minutes do not record a formal disciplinary action or an immediate investigation initiated by the commission; they state only that the attorney would issue a letter and the county would follow up. The complaint also included a request from O'Donnell that outside law enforcement be asked to investigate the matter. The minutes do not document whether such a referral took place.

Provenance: The allegation and the chairman’s response appear in the open-forum minutes at SEG 001. No subsequent formal investigative action is recorded in the meeting minutes.

What’s next: The minutes indicate the county attorney planned to send a letter; the record does not show a follow-up action or an investigation referral. Citizens seeking documentary confirmation should request records from the county clerk or contact the county attorney’s office.