The mayor of a small town in Georgia, Benjamin 'Benji' Cary Cranford, has been suspended by GOP Gov. Brian Kemp after being charged with a serious offense. Cranford, 52, was indicted and arrested on felony charges of furnishing prohibited items to inmates and attempting to commit a felony.
The incident occurred when Cranford allegedly purchased a bottle of Seagram's Extra Dry Gin and left it in a ditch along Cobbham Road in Thomson, Georgia, where a work crew of state prisoners from the Jefferson County Correctional Institution would find it. Thomson Police initiated an investigation into the matter, leading to Cranford's arrest by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Following his arrest, Cranford was booked into the McDuffie County Jail and later released on bail. Gov. Kemp took action by issuing an executive order to suspend Cranford from his mayoral duties. The governor's office received the indictment in August and appointed a review commission to assess the impact of the charges on Cranford's ability to fulfill his duties.
The commission's report, submitted on October 1, concluded that the indictment was adversely affecting the administration of the mayor's duties and recommended his suspension. As a result, Cranford's suspension is effective immediately and will continue until the case is resolved or his term expires.
This development has raised concerns about the integrity of public officials and their responsibilities to the community. The town of Thomson will now have to navigate the implications of having its mayor suspended under such circumstances.
