LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- Gwinnett Democrats are calling for the resignation of county commissioner Tommy Hunter, after he made disparaging comments about U.S. Rep. John Lewis on his Facebook page over the weekend.
In an email sent out Monday afternoon, county party chairman Gabe Okoye said Hunter “is a disgrace to Gwinnett County and Georgia.”
Hunter’s post, which has since been removed, called Lewis “a racist pig."
“There ain’t one political pundit that didn’t say on November 9 that this would be Demonrats EXACT response to Trump winning,” the post said. “Demonrats do not live in reality. They believe the polls were right and THE REAL VOTES were wrong. What a bunch of idiots.”
On Friday, a preview of Lewis’ interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” was released, in which the longtime Atlanta congressman said Trump was an illegitimate president-elect. That prompted Trump to tweet early Saturday morning that Lewis’ 5th congressional district was “horrible” and “crime ridden.”
The exchange between Lewis and Trump became the hottest political story in the nation over the weekend, with many political officials coming to Lewis’ defense.
In his email, Okoye said “Mr. Hunter’s behavior is unbecoming a member of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners and violates the Board’s Code of Ethics.
“It's OK to disagree with Congressman Lewis, but you don't have to do it by name calling on social media,” Okoye said. “Mr. Hunter left middle school ages ago and should find a more dignified manner in which to express himself. His remarks not only reflect poorly on himself but also on Gwinnett County. What business would want to come here when we have Commissioners who conduct themselves this way? This is in the national news!”
11Alive has reached out to Hunter, who has not responded to requests for an interview.
