Leigh Patterson, Floyd County district attorney
“I never dreamed that I would be brought before the State Ethics Commission for winning first place for best ribs in a barbecue competition,” Patterson said.
“I feel compelled to confess to the commission that I also won first place in the hog calling contest,” she said.
Rome’s George Anderson, director of the Ethics in Government Group, filed the complaint days before the Nov. 5, 2008, election.
The point of contention in the complaint was a $200 listed “contribution” from the Downtown Development Authority of Cave Spring — which Anderson argued was illegal — in the form of prize money for best barbecue in the city’s Pig Out contest in September 2008.
Patterson said she also disclosed to the board she won first place for best muffins at the Coosa Valley Fair last week and hoped she wouldn’t face additional complaints.
The entry into the Cave Spring contest was paid for out of campaign funds, and she additionally reported $232 in funds raised at the event.
“I don’t even think we covered costs,” she said.
An ethics board representative confirmed the complaint was quickly dismissed at Thursday’s meeting.
Anderson said, as he understood it, Patterson cleared up previous errors by making corrective amendments to her financial disclosure and is happy with the result.
“I was just pointing out some errors,” Anderson said. “It was nothing personal.”
George, I must ask many questions of you. Are you bitter that your business had many ethical questions raised against it? Seems I remember someone who couldn't pay their sales taxes on time. Why is that? Because you didn't know how to allocate funds properly? Are you diverting attention from your own shortcomings and attacking everyone else to make yourself feel better? I just want to know.
In my life, I have never seen anyone brought up on ethics violations involving FOOD. You have gone too far with your insanity. It's is crap like this that makes everyone scratch their heads and not want to take what you are doing seriously. If someone else were doing the ethics thing that you are doing, they would be taken more seriously because they would keep their own nose clean and not find silly things like this to worry about.
If I see that you go after her winning muffins next, I will be hotter than the muffins that will be coming out of the oven.
Unless someone is doing something, like taking bribes under the table in exchange for contracts and similar things, please keep your nose, your mouth and your hands out of the kitchen.
Leigh Patterson has a very difficult and important job to perform. She doesn't need distractions like you taking away her time and attention in helping make sure the bad guys are locked up where they belong.
God Bless you Leigh.