Alabama town appoints interim mayor to permanent role
After months of interim leadership for the town of Gordon, the community has a new mayor. WSFA-TV reports the council voted Tuesday to appoint former Mayor Pro-tem Shana Ray as the new mayor. Ray had been serving temporarily since October after former Mayor Elbert Melton was stripped of his duties following Hurricane Michael. Some accused him of abandoning the the town’s 300-plus residents. He was officially stripped of the title after he was convicted of voter fraud in January. Ray, who says she is the town’s first black female mayor, says she hopes to revive the town’s image. The appointment means the state is not expected to intervene. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Former Gordon mayor Elbert Melton convicted of voter fraud, sentenced to year in jail
A former Alabama mayor convicted of voter fraud has been sentenced to a year in jail followed by two years of probation. The Dothan Eagle reports former Gordon Mayor Elbert Melton was sentenced to a three-year split-sentence Wednesday. Melton still faces an additional felony offense. A Houston County jury found Melton guilty last month on two counts of voter fraud. Last September, a grand jury returned indictments against Melton on three charges of absentee ballot fraud and one charge of second-degree theft of property. One fraud count was dismissed because the victim died. Melton’s arrest warrants say he’s accused of willfully and unlawfully falsifying absentee ballots or verification documents. He’s also charged with knowingly obtaining or exerting unauthorized control over $1,700 belonging to the Town of Gordon. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Alabama mayor Elbert Melton convicted of voter fraud, removed from office
The mayor of Gordon, Alabama, has been convicted of voter fraud and removed from office. News outlets report Elbert Melton was convicted Wednesday of unlawfully falsifying ballots when he was elected in 2016. He defeated challenger Priscilla Wilson by a 16-vote margin. This conviction strips him of his office. The Gordon Town Council will appoint an interim mayor to serve until an election is held. Melton was charged in September with absentee ballot fraud and second-degree theft of property. Arrest warrants say he knowingly obtained or exerted unauthorized control over $1,700 that belonged to the town. Prosecutor Mark Johnson says the judge has released Melton on bond. Melton is set to be sentenced next month on the fraud charge. He still is facing the theft charge. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
