Recently appointed Carroll County Warden and long-term Carrollton City Councilman Rusty Gray has resigned both positions.
Late this afternoon the County Clerk's office of the Carroll County Board of Commissioners provided a copy of former
Warden Gray's resignation letter dated June 1, 2009:
I hereby give my resignation as the Warden of Carroll County Prison.
Thank you for the opportunity.
Sincerely, Rusty Gray
Mayor Wayne Garner, Gray's brother-in-law, released a one sentence statement on the matter on Tuesday:
"I have requested Councilman Rusty Gray's resignation from the city council as a result
of a personal matter and
he has tendered his resignation."
Neither organization would confirm Gray's reasoning for resigning the respective positions, but multiple sources
confirmed an ongoing investigation by the GBI into an alleged "improper relationship with a minor."
Does Not Reflect Well on Chairman Chappell
Less than 2 months ago, Rusty Gray was appointed warden of the Carroll County Prison by Carroll County Chairman Bill Chappell.
Chappell had fired long serving and well respected Warden Tom Burgess with no reason given.
While Gray said he had vast experience in managing prisons and in corrections, nothing on his resume reflected
that experience. The predominant reasoning for his appointment was the fact he was (and still is) Mayor Wayne Garner's
brother-in-law and Garner is a close ally with Bill Chappell. Community consensus says Chappell fired Warden Tom
Burgess only to create a position for Rusty Gray as a favor to Carrollton Mayor Wayne Garner.
As of Wednesday morning Carroll County had not issued any public statements on the matter and nobody has been
appointed to run the prison in the interim.
Gray's Final Council Meeting
During Rusty Gray's last and final city council meeting, The Information Age, Inc. had the opportunity to interview
him on video. The first video is titled "City Councilman Rusty Gray Part 1."
The next video is titled "City Councilman Rusty Gray Part 2."
During the Carrollton City Council meeting a vote was taken on a contract between the City of Carrollton and the Carroll County Board
of Commissioners. Gray was asked about the vote; he commented that he "looked at that;" yet he dodged specific questions concerning
conflict of interest on the matter.
For the record, Councilman/Warden Rusty Gray has served on the Carrollton City Council since 2002, but he has never, never
recused himself from consideration on any matter. He has never mentioned any conflict of interest even when he voted in favor
of matters that profited his direct family members.
Mayor Garner's Hands Not Clean
The Information Age, Inc. reported Rusty Gray's obvious conflicts of interest in 2005 only to receive a letter
from Gray's brother-in-law Mayor J. Wayne Garner threatening the use of violence. The letter was written and signed by
the mayor on city letterhead and personally delivered by City Manager Casey Coleman.
Mayor Garner took offense to the reporting he and his wife, Rusty Gray's sister, had failed to pay property taxes
and penalties on a commercial property valued at over $1,000,000 for more than three years. While Garner recused himself on the
matter, Gray made a motion and voted to give $150,000 of tax paid monies to a company operating in the building. At the time, The
Information Age, Inc. questioned why tax paid dollars were being given to a company operating in a building owned by the mayor and
his wife which had three years of outstanding taxes due plus penalties.
Gray Oblivious to Conflict of Interest Definition
On this latest evening, Gray voted on a contract between the City of Carrollton and his new employer, the Carroll County Board
of Commissioners. Gray did not mention his employment; he did not recuse himself from consideration of the matter; and
he did not recuse himself from the vote.
Note the following: Even though Councilman/Warden Rusty Gray is technically a mental health professional, he lost his
composure when asked tough, direct questions by The Information Age, Inc.
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Recently appointed Carroll County Warden and long-term Carrollton City Councilman Rusty Gray has resigned both positions.