Indicted Georgia Insurance Commissioner Steps Aside From Post
May 17, 2019 by Timothy Darragh
ATLANTA – Two days after he was charged with fraud in a federal indictment, Georgia Insurance Commissioner Jim Beck said he would step aside from office.
But Beck said it was only a temporary move, even after prosecutors charged him with 38 counts of mail and wire fraud and money laundering.
“I hereby authorize the governor to suspend me from the office of insurance commissioner pending the outcome of my case,” Beck said in a letter to Gov. Brian Kemp.
Kemp less than 24 hours earlier called on Beck to resign from office, saying the indictment “severely” undermined Beck’s ability to carry out his duties (Best’s News Service, May 16, 2019).
Beck, who pleaded not guilty in court May 15, reiterated his innocence in his letter to Kemp. Because of that, it would be inappropriate to resign, he said. “This voluntary suspension shall terminate upon my reinstatement to office following my acquittal of these charges,” Beck wrote.
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