NEWTON COUNTY – Governor Brian Kemp has named Lanier Sims interim chairman of the Newton County Board of Commissioners (BOC). The move was announced via an executive order from the governor’s office on Aug. 30.
This decision from Kemp comes nearly one month after the announcement of Marcello Banes’ indefinite suspension.
Sims – a cousin of Banes – is no stranger to the Newton County BOC, having served as District 2 representative from 2011 to 2018 as a Democrat. He opted not to seek re-election in the 2018 race, citing the need to “move in a different direction,” in a letter sent to The Covington News in 2018. Demond Mason has since taken over that seat.
Sims currently serves as the chairman of the Newton County Industrial Authority and president of the Newton County Chamber of Commerce.
The former District 2 commissioner is expected to fill the chairman role until a decision is reached in the federal case against Banes. There is no timetable on when that may occur. Banes recently won the Democratic primary in May and faces no opposition in November on the Republican side.
The chairman role was previously filled by vice-chairman Stan Edwards, but he mentioned during the Aug. 20 meeting that he did not want to fill in as interim chair.
Sims will take over as chairman "during the week of Sept. 2," according to a Newton County press release. He will take over all acting chairman duties. Edwards will serve as chair during the Sept. 3 meeting and continue to serve as vice-chair in future meetings.
In his first words following his appointment, Sims expressed his thanks to his supporters via an official press release from Newton County.
“I am deeply humbled to announce that Governor Brian Kemp has appointed me to serve as the interim chairman of the Newton County Board of Commissioners,” Sims said. ”This is not a role I take lightly, and I am extremely grateful for the many calls, prayers, and words of encouragement I've received from our community. I am committed to serving with integrity and ensuring that our county remains strong, united, and prosperous during this transition.”
Sims may also fill roles on other boards as well, though this is not as clear at this time. During the Aug. 20 meeting, Banes was suspended from a number of boards including the Joint Development Authority and the Solid Waste Management Authority, a board in which Sims previously served on.
Banes was suspended on Aug. 1 from his chairman role due to his pending federal indictment on money laundering charges alongside District 3 commissioner-elect Stephanie Lindsey.
The indictment alleges that Banes – who reportedly acted in his capacity as a member of the JDA – and Lindsey coordinated a brokerage deal with an industry prospect in Stanton Springs who wanted to purchase 40 acres of land.
The brokerage agreement saw the company named as “Company A” pay $150,000 to Lindsey’s CSL Reality Group as commission. The money was allegedly put in a mutual business entity – LatReb Logistics – where Banes reportedly received $100,000 that was put toward a new house in Newton County.
It is also alleged that Banes did not disclose this to the JDA before the board voted on the transfer of the parcel on Jan. 22, 2019, with the company claiming in the indictment that they would not have gone through with the deal if they knew Banes was receiving part of the commission.
Banes was formally charged with money laundering conspiracy, transactional money laundering, concealment money laundering and providing false statements to a federal agent.
Lindsey was formally charged with money laundering conspiracy, transactional money laundering, concealment money laundering and making and subscribing a false tax return. She has since filed a motion to dismiss three of those charges.
Both have pleaded not guilty and are set for a pretrial conference on Sept. 12.
