The Georgia Ethics Commission has imposed a $1,500 civil penalty on the Macon Industrial Authority for improperly handling campaign contributions related to a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) referendum. During a recent meeting, commission members discussed the case, noting that the authority had legally contributed funds to educate voters about the upcoming SPLOST. However, the Go Big committee registered as a ballot question committee and misreported these funds as campaign contributions, which is against regulations.

Commission members clarified that the $50,000 involved came from private donors rather than taxpayer dollars, which influenced the decision to settle on a lower penalty. "Had those been $50,000 in tax dollars, we probably would have pursued this more aggressively," one member stated, emphasizing the distinction between public and private funding.

In a separate matter, the commission also reviewed case number 22-0104-C involving Chad Jones Smith, a candidate for the Atlanta Public School Board in 2019, who faces three violations. The discussions highlighted the ongoing efforts of the commission to ensure compliance with campaign finance laws and maintain the integrity of electoral processes in Georgia.