Faced with mounting legal problems and a growing chorus of criticism from party loyalists, the head of Georgia’s Democratic Party said he would step down Wednesday amid fears that he could complicate a Democratic comeback attempt.
Mike Berlon was suspended by the State Bar of Georgia, reprimanded by Georgia’s top court and sued by a former client in the past month. An Atlanta Journal-Constitution review of Berlon’s legal record shows the Gwinnett County attorney has also been accused of missing key deadlines, ignoring clients and defrauding a firm where he once worked of more than $400,000.
Berlon said his private practice had nothing to do with his political role and initially vowed to serve the remaining two years of his term. But he reversed course after several influential Democratic leaders openly questioned his ability to raise funds and recruit candidates for an opening Senate seat.
“My goal is, and always has been, to unify Georgia Democrats,” Berlon said in a statement to the AJC. “We have an important U.S. Senate race in 2014, and our focus should be on winning that seat and others.”
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said Wednesday that he feared that the leadership turmoil could distract the party from its bid to fill retiring Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss’ seat next year.
via Mounting legal woes led to Democratic leader’s resignation | www.myajc.com.
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