The Democrat challenging Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is reportedly under investigation by a Georgia watchdog over campaign materials that referred to him as an elected judge.
Robert Patillo is under investigation by a panel at the Judicial Qualifications Commission (JQC) over “campaign conduct” involving his former campaign website and current campaign email, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Wednesday.
When Patillo (pictured above) first announced his candidacy, the outlet reported his campaign website was judgepatillo.com. Patillo is not currently a judge, and Georgia judicial candidates are prohibited from “publication of a false statement of fact,” including making a “misleading statement concerning themselves or their candidacies.”
Though this website was changed following objections by the JQC, the outlet reported that Patillo nonetheless invites supporters to email his campaign using an email address connected to the judgepatillo.com website.
The Georgia Star News confirmed judgepatillo.com still exists, but appears to mirror the content available on Patillo’s new campaign website, patilloforjudge.com.
JQC Director Courtney Veal told AJC that the watchdog is investigating Patillo’s “campaign conduct” and stated to the outlet, “The commission expects all judges and judicial candidates to conduct their campaigns in accordance with the Code of Judicial Conduct and the binding authority set forth in our formal advisory opinions.”
Patillo was previously accused of running against McAfee as a “pressure campaign” by the Fulton County Democratic machine and embattled District Attorney Fani Willis targeting McAfee, who is the judge overseeing the Georgia election case against former President Donald Trump.
When McAfee held hearings to determine if Willis should be disqualified from the case due to her previously undisclosed relationship with the married defense attorney she appointed special counsel, Patillo called McAfee’s courtroom a “clown show” that made Atlanta a national joke.
Nonetheless, Patillo simultaneously denied any affiliation with Willis or a Democratic machine and said he was not motivated to declare his candidacy by McAfee’s management of the Trump case.
McAfee, meanwhile, recently acknowledged the interest in the race for his judgeship was likely caused by the Trump case.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt about that,” said McAfee in an interview with WSB-TV. “I think I’m sitting with you here today in large part because of that.”
While Patillo claimed McAfee is “under tremendous” pressure in the Trump case, the judge countered that any seasoned attorney can “compartmentalize” and “stay focused.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Robert Patillo” by Robert Patillo.
