Georgia Ethics Chief Resigns Amid Probe Into Misuse of State Computer
RESIGNED
Stefan Ritter, Georgia’s State Ethics Commission executive secretary, resigned on Friday amid a misconduct probe into alleged misuse of his state computer. According to local news outlets, Ritter had been accused of watching porn on his work computer. Ritter, who had been the commission’s chief since 2015, previously denied the allegations in January, calling the claim “untrue” when it first came to light. Commission Chairman Jake Evans told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday that Ritter offered to resign part-way through an investigation and the commission accepted, adding that the now former ethics head will be paid three months of his salary—about $45,000—as part of a settlement. “As exchange for that, Mr. Ritter has given us a full release of all potential claims he may have had against the commission,” Evans said. “I think this is a great result for both parties.”