Councilor Glenn Davis issues late endorsement in sheriff’s race

Columbus Councilor Glenn Davis emailed a letter to undisclosed recipients Sunday evening endorsing challenger Donna Tompkins’ campaign to unseat Muscogee County Sheriff John Darr in Tuesday’s runoff election.

The letter, which was was blind-copied to the Ledger-Enquirer, cites Darr’s lawsuit against city leaders over his budget and his vocal support for leniency in the sentencing of a convicted felon.

“I endorse, and please vote Tuesday, the 6^th, (for) Donna Tompkins for Sheriff,” Davis wrote. “She has worked in almost every department in the Sheriff's Office over the last 30 years. She has a Masters in Public Administration and is committed to reducing costs at jail, will submit detailed budgets, and then operate within budget like other city and public safety departments.”

Darr, a two-term incumbent sheriff, ran in November’s General Election as an independent against Tompkins, the Democratic nominee, and Mark LaJoye, the Republican nominee.

Tompkins garnered 44 percent of the vote, not enough to prevent a runoff. Darr received 32 percent and LaJoye got 20 percent. LaJoye has since publicly endorsed Tompkins.

In his email, Davis notes that Tompkins has said she would dismiss Darr’s lawsuit against the city and its elected and executive leadership, including Davis and other councilors. Darr’s lawsuit, along with similar suits filed by Superior Court Clerk Linda Pierce, Municipal Court Clerk Vivian Creighton-Bishop and Marshal Greg Countryman, claiming budget inequities and iniquities, have cost taxpayers about $2 million and are still in the courts.

Davis also pointed to Darr’s in-court testimony asking for leniency in the federal court sentencing of Sawan "Sunny" Shah, who was convicted for his part in a tax fraud scheme that cost taxpayers about $1.3 million. Shah had been a contributor to Darr’s previous campaigns for office.

“(Tompkins) will restore integrity to Sheriff’s Office because she would not ever testify as character witness for a campaign contributor who confessed, and pleaded guilty to a tax fraud scam that stole millions from hard working taxpayers including many military personnel,” Davis wrote.

Davis was one of three Columbus Councilors who joined Darr, Countryman and Creighton-Bishop at the January 2014 campaign kickoff for Colin Martin, who tried unsuccessfully to unseat Mayor Teresa Tomlinson two years ago. Councilors Gary Allen and Bruce also stood up for Martin in the campaign.

“John Darr has not been fiscally responsible. He has not submitted detailed budgets, operated within his own budget, and has excessively exceeded his budget almost every year,” Davis wrote. “He has shown that he is incapable of running the Sheriffs Office like a business. He does not have fiscal knowledge, nor financial budgetary skills. He has refused help, and has not hired qualified professionals to help him manage numerous fiscal budgetary failures.”

Darr has overspent his budget every year since taking office in 2008, totaling about $10 million in overruns. Tomlinson says it’s a matter of poor management on Darr’s part. Darr says it’s a matter of the city chronically underfunding his office, making it impossible to carry out his legally mandated duties without breaking his budget.

Attempts to reach Darr have been unsuccessful.

This story was originally published December 5, 2016 at 6:42 AM with the headline "Councilor Glenn Davis issues late endorsement in sheriff’s race."