Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has issued “new public corruption and ethics guidance to those involved in the legislative process” while a number of key public corruption cases being handled by his office linger without action.
In a press release issued Monday, Carr stated:
“While others may be reluctant to address complaints of public corruption, our office won’t hesitate to take action based on the facts and the law. We encourage anyone who has information about unethical or improper behavior to do the right thing and come forward. This shouldn’t be a partisan or political issue – it’s about making sure those in government are serving the people, not themselves.”
The statement was accompanied by a letter sent on February 9, 2026 in which he outlines what his office calls “serious legal consequences for abuse of office violations, including extortion, bribery, kickbacks, sexual harassment and misconduct, or quid pro quo arrangements – situations in which something of value (such as money, campaign support or other benefits) is demanded, offered, or implied in exchange for legislative action, official access, special treatment, or influence over policy outcomes.”
While Carr professes his dedication to prosecuting public corruption, his office has failed to make any progress on relatively high profile cases in southeast Georgia.
Lingering Cases
Most notably is the still pending case against former Smith State Prison Warden Brian Adams, who was employed by the Georgia Department of Corrections. Adams was arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on February 8, 2023 on charges of Bribery, Criminal Attempt to Commit a Felony (RICO Act), False Statements and Writings, Concealment of Facts, and Fraudulent Documents in Matters Within Jurisdiction of State or Political Subdivisions, and Violation of Oath by a Public Officer. Carr’s office is handling the prosecution but still has not presented the case to grand jury in Tattnall County, which would start the formal process for prosecution beyond the arrest.
Carr’s office is currently representing the Georgia Department of Corrections in a civil suit brought against Adams and another former Smith State Prison staffer for their alleged roles at the facility at the time of the death of 88-year-old Bobby Kicklighter. The actions of Carr’s office as they pertain to the civil suit have resulted in a judge ordering GDC to pay sanctions for non-compliance during the discovery process.
Though the timeline pales in comparison to the Adams’ case, the criminal case against former Long County Commissioner Robert Parker and a county vendor, Tony Edward Fowler, is also being handled by the Carr’s office, but has yet to go before a grand jury. Parker and Fowler were arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on February 27, 2025 with Parker being charged with Theft by Taking, Violation of Oath of Office, Aggravated Assault, and a violation of the Georgia Racketeering Act (RICO).
Noteworthy about the case is that a Deputy Attorney General from Carr’s office appeared for the highly-publicized first appearance hearing for Parker in Long County back in February 2025. At the time, he opposed bond, citing Parker as a flight risk and a threat to witnesses in the case while relying on the egregious circumstances surrounding the case. A week later and without a change in circumstance, the attorney general’s office quietly consented to a bond order for his pre-trial release.
Eleven months have passed and neither the case against Parker nor Fowler have been presented to a grand jury in Long County.
Before former Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson was acquitted of the charges against her because of a flaw in the indictment prepared by Carr’s office, prosecutors waited three-and-a-half years to bring the case to trial. Johnson was facing criminal charges related to her actions following the murder of Ahmaud Arbery in 2020, though Carr’s office never expanded the scope of the inquiry beyond Arbery, despite the widely known existence of other victims of Johnson’s misdeeds while in office.
You can read the letter sent to unnamed colleagues below.
Carr’s office also said that anyone who believes they have been pressured, solicited, or involved in conduct that could constitute public corruption, they should:
- Report concerning activity to the State Ethics Commission or House and Senate Ethics Committees.
- Contact the Attorney General’s Office or appropriate law enforcement.
- Consult with legal counsel prior to reporting to better understand their rights, obligations, and available protections.
