Gwinnett County commissioners vote to publicly reprimand one of their own over racially charged comments he made on social media.

An ethics complaint was filed against District Three Commissioner Tommy Hunter after he called Congressman John Lewis a racist pig and made other derogatory remarks against Democrats.

The county’s ethics board ruled earlier this month that he should be publicly reprimanded for those remarks.

Hunter did not attend the public hearing, nor did anyone speak on his behalf. But for an hour, his fellow commissioners heard from nearly two dozen people who supported the ethics board’s decision.

“He demonstrated and acted out racial hatred based upon supremacy ideology right here in our own backyard,” Art Smith, from Dacula, told commissioners.

He and others called Hunter’s remarks an embarrassment for the county.

Before voting unanimously to reprimand Hunter, each of the commissioners expressed their opinions.

District One Commissioner Jace Brooks says, while he supports the reprimand, he doesn’t believe Hunter violated any ethics rules.

“I do not believe that our ethics code was ever intended to be used to sensor a public official’s comments made in his or hers personal or private citizen’s role,” he says.

Commission Chair Charlotte Nash became emotional during her comments, saying she has lost sleep over Hunter’s remarks.

“The very idea that we cannot have civil discourse without calling names, without realizing there is a place for differences,” she says.

The resolution for reprimand will be sent certified mail to Hunter as well as posted on the county’s website, inside the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, and in the county’s legal organ.

Hunter spokesman Seth Weathers issued a statement following the vote:

"We now know that mob rule controls the Gwinnett County Commission Board. Charlotte Nash lead her fellow board members in the public burning of the Constitution this evening.

People are used to politicians caving to political correctness but tonight it reached a new level. Spineless politicians do spineless things.”