JONESBORO, Ga. — Investigators with the Clayton County District Attorney’s Office say there is not enough evidence to charge the mayor of Jonesboro with pulling a gun on a city employee.
Earlier this year, a complaint claimed that Mayor Donya Sartor committed aggravated assault when she pointed a gun at Lt. Godreque Newsom.
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At the time, Sartor told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln that she and Newsom had been working together on an administrative matter when she removed a gun from her locked desk drawer and transferred it.
“I unlocked the drawer, grabbed the handgun, and transferred it, and I commented that I want to make sure, I don’t leave it here because it was the end of the day,” Sartor said.
In a letter Newsom sent to Police Chief Tommy Henderson, he says the mayor pointed the gun in his direction when taking it out of the drawer. He says it was an unexpected action that left him feeling assaulted and in fear.
After the GBI conducted an independent investigation and passed its findings to the D.A.’s office, they found the mayor did move a gun from her desk to her purse while Newsom was in her office.
They said that while her actions showed a lack of judgment and a lack of general firearm safety, there is “insufficient evidence” that she acted with criminal intent to threaten or assault Newsom.
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While investigating that complaint, the GBI received a second complaint that Sartor had offered a man a full-time job with the police department in exchange for a campaign donation.
The GBI said there was not evidence of that allegation either. Investigators say the text message soliciting campaign donations appeared to be a general solicitation sent to several people. They also noted that Sartor shared several reasons they did not hire the man.
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Earlier this month, Sartor was reelected as Jonesboro’s mayor.
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