Newspaper Page Text
Page 2— Wednesday, September 20, 2023, The True Citizen
Sheriff blasts “Group of 12” in social media
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Editor's note: The True Citi
zen’s reporting regarding the
activities of Alfonzo Williams
and Lewis Blanchard is not
reflective of our support or en
dorsement of either one of the
current candidates. We have
and will continue to report the
actions of all candidates and
the Board of Commissioners.
Sheriff Williams was offered an
opportunity to interview about
his bid for re-election but he
declined. The True Citizen
belongs to no Group of 12,
conspiring against the Sheriff,
nor do we have any knowledge
that such a group exists. Fur
thermore, The True Citizen has
no control or influence over
the reporting of Augusta news
outlet WRDW News 12. We
have elected not to report on
recent I-TEAM investigations
naming residents who had not
been charged with crimes.
Sheriff Alfonzo Williams
blasted media outlets, for
mer Chief Deputy Lewis
Blanchard and former Sheriff
Greg Coursey on an official
Facebook page early Sunday
morning.
In a post, Williams expressed
his dismay that Blanchard was
running against him in the next
sheriff’s election.
“I too, am surprised by this
move as he had promised me
for years that he would never
run against me,” he wrote.
Although Blanchard vowed
not to engage in “drama” or a
“tit-for-taf ’ race during a recent
announcement dinner, and has
not been known by The True
Citizen to insult or belittle his
opponent publicly, Williams
accused Blanchard of engaging
in “hate, vitriol, contempt and
downright ugliness.”
Although former Sher
iff Greg Coursey endorsed
Blanchard during the recent
announcement dinner, a move
Williams called “hypocritical
ignorance,” Coursey never
criticized the Sheriff during
the event. Still, Williams called
Coursey “mean-spirited and
hateful” in the Facebook post.
“They have joined forces to
regain control of the sheriff’s
office. While neither of them
needs the money nor the job,
both desire the power and
control,” he wrote.
Williams once again alluded
to a “group of 12” and alleged
they have orchestrated attacks
on him and the people of Burke
County.
“The alleged I-Team discov
eries are flat out lies, specula
tion, and innuendo,” he said
insinuating that the alleged
group of 12 conspirators, in
cluding Blanchard, influenced
News 12 reporting. “Please
take care to see just how des
perate Blanchard is to attain the
office of sheriff. He is willing
to destroy good families and
anyone else who stands in the
way.”
Although not all BCSO
employees may agree with
Williams’ leadership style
and may have reached out to
media anonymously, Williams
blamed it on Blanchard as well.
“Blanchard, after his departure
from our office, worked to turn
a number of former employees
against the sheriff’s office —
and perhaps a few current em
ployees too,” Williams wrote.
In the post, the Sheriff
claimed he was not fazed by
what he calls “jaundiced re
Sheriff refuses to disclose “Group of 12”
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
The names of members be
longing to a group of people
conspiring against Sheriff
Alfonzo Williams may only
exist in the mind of the Sheriff.
A September 17 open re
cords request through the
Burke County Sheriff’s Office
website asking for the names
of the members of the “Group
of 12,” whom Sheriff Alfonzo
Williams publicly alleges are
conspiring against him, was
instead met with a Certifi
cate of Authenticity stating no
documentation pertaining to
the identity of the individuals
exists.
The True Citizen made the
request in an effort to interview
the individuals he accuses
of influencing news outlets
to report “fake news” while
orchestrating attacks on local
citizens. Williams has made
several public announcements
referring to the Group of 12,
not as people who are opposed
to his reelection, but rather
individuals who are conspiring
against him.
“Together, the Group of 12
have orchestrated attacks on
the people of Burke County
and me,” the Sheriff wrote in a
September 17 Facebook post.
“Please take care to see just
how desperate Blanchard is to
attain the office of sheriff...
While he will deny having in
roads to News 12,1 charge you
to realize I never had an FBI or
GBI inquiry while he worked
with me. It is happening now
because it is a part of the Group
of 12’s strategy.”
The Sheriff has publicly
accused the “Group of 12”
conspirators, including County
Manager Merv Waldrop and
some of the Burke County
Commissioners, of influenc
ing rival candidate Lewis
Blanchard to run for office.
“The county manager and
a few of the commissioners
begged me to fire Blanchard
because they could not work
with him,” Williams wrote in
the post. “...Now those same
persons and others within the
Group of 12 are pushing for
him to run against me.”
porting.”
“I urge you to stop patron
izing those within the group
of 12,” he wrote and ironically
later added, “you may call me
a lot of things, but I am not
a vindictive person, nor am I
mean-spirited, hateful, envi
ous, controlling, or power
hungry. If I have power or
authority, I will only use it to
help others.”
The True Citizen reached out
to Blanchard Sunday afternoon
and received the following
statement: "When I decided
to leave the Burke County's
Sheriffs Office it was the right
thing at that time and now is the
right time to bring consistency,
sincerity and integrity to the of
fice of sheriff. I can't control or
dwell on what others think or
say. I believe in a healthy and
respectful campaign where we
focus on the issues that matter
to the people we serve as I have
done from day one."
Blanchard also pointed out
that he does not have any influ
ence or say over what News 12,
The True Citizen or any other
media outlet reports.
Aderogatory post Sunday, September 17 included this photo
of Sheriff Alfonzo Williams.
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