Republican candidate Chester Doles, who sought a seat on the Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners in Georgia, saw his campaign come to an abrupt end after a CBS46 investigation found that he was ineligible for office due to a previous felony conviction, Complex reported Monday.
Doles, 61, is a former Ku Klux Klan member who once was designated as the Grand Klaliff of the Invisible Empire, Knights of the KKK in Maryland, Complex reported. He was in the midst of campaigning for the office when an investigative reporter from the CBS Atlanta affiliate revealed his criminal record which disqualifies him from holding office.”
“In 1993, Doles spent time in federal prison after he was convicted of beating a Black man in Maryland; in 2003, he was convicted of weapons violations in Georgia and spent four more years behind bars,” according to Complex.
According to the report, the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles has ruled that citizens can’t serve until “at least 10 years have passed since they completed their prison term.” And while Doles is past the 10-year requirement, the Georgia Republican Party told CBS46 that the former KKK leader’s rights ‘were not restored in time for the qualifying deadline,’ which was March 8.”
Doles has said that he intends to sue, accusing the board of “violating his civil rights” and whining that he has already invested time and money into his campaign.
“They have violated my civil rights. We’re gonna ask for damages. My attorney is reviewing the case right now. They’ve caused me major damages. I have thousands of dollars in campaign signs, billboards, radio commercials.”
Watch the CBS46 report below:
