Though Murray-Obertein had recommended fines amounting to $70,000, the Governor was cleared of all major charges against him and ultimately paid only $3,350 in administrative fees to rectify technical defects in his campaign reports.
While the commission was supposed to hear five cases that accused Nathan Deal of misusing campaign funds in his 2010 elections, cases involving major violations were dismissed before they made to the table.
In the affidavit, Murray-Obertein says, "Commissioner Abernethy attempted in each phone conversation to pressure me into settling the complaint … In fact, Commissioner Abernethy informed me that the commissioners would vote to dismiss the complaints (and that I should settle the complaints because there was no point in having hearings)."
Last year, just when the commission's former executive director and her deputy decided to file lawsuits against the Governor Nathan Deal, and filed them, the ethics commission slashed the executive director's salary by 30 percent and terminated the job of her deputy.
Murray-Obertein had alleged in her statements earlier that the executive secretary of the commission, Holly LaBerge had told her on more than one occasion that Nathan Deal "owes her" for getting rid of the ethics complaints. While Deal has told the media he does not know any Holly LaBerge, in sworn statements, LaBerge has alleged that she had received a phone call from Deal's office asking whether she was interested in the job of the executive director of the commission, even before the position was open.
