Georgia District 1 Representative Colton Moore has accused District 53 Senator Jeff Mullis of “Fake News”. Moore posted a statement on social media and sent to local news outlets regarding a meeting held Thursday at Cloudland Canyon to resolve some of the issues with visitors Dade County has been dealing with.
In the statement Moore says, “Over the past 10 days, Jeff Mullis has announced multiple times, to Northwest Georgia, that Cloudland Canyon State Park is closed.
“I never said it,” Mullis said. “I have never said it. My whole ambition was to work out something with the local authorities and park service that would be good for the residents.”
When asked, County Executive Ted Rumley, Commissioner Robert Goff, and Commissioner Allan Bradford all said they had never heard Mullis say Cloudland Canyon Park was closed. The only time the subject has come up has been when Commissioners asked Mullis about closing the park.
When asked where Mullis has been saying Cloudland Canyon Park is closed, Moore points to the press conference video by Rumley posted Easter weekend where Rumley announces the park is closed “until further notice”. Moore said Rumley “gives the illusion the park is closed because of Mullis”.
Moore calls the county’s announcement and Mullis’ involvement in the Cloudland Canyon Park issue a political ploy because so many people are interested in the issue. Moore called the announcement by Rumley “Fake News” saying the park was never really closed, only to day traffic for half a day.
Moore said that a week prior to the announced park shut down, he was up late the night calls first started coming in about the number of visitors and traffic to Cloudland Canyon. Moore said that he had the park closed the next day, but did not announce it to everyone like Mullis had because he knew the park would open a day later.
Moore’s next accusation in his statement is that Mullis had a law enforcement escort to Thursday’s meeting at Cloudland Canyon.
“Today, I attended a meeting of DNR officials, local commissioners, and Senator Jeff Mullis escorted by two Georgia State Patrol cars,” Moore said. “Our State Troopers have other more valuable business to tend to during this State of Emergency.”
When asked why he thought Mullis had been escorted, Moore said Mullis arrived thirty minutes late to the meeting with law enforcement and he did not feel that was a coincidence - that they all happened to be late together. Sheriff Ray Cross explained that the escort did not happen.
“The GSP Troopers were at the Sheriff’s Office when the Major and I were leaving,” Cross said. “Commander (Chris) Harris asked where we were going and I told him Cloudland Canyon for the meeting with DNR. I said do you want to go, he said sure, and followed me to the park. When we arrived Jeff Mullis saw us and asked where the meeting was going to be and he followed us to the group shelter.”
Georgia State Patrol Public Information Director Lieutenant Stephanie Stallings confirmed that Cross’s account of the meeting was true. Stallings said the Troopers were present at the Sheriff’s Office to discuss a traffic plan. They drove to the meeting and there was no request for an escort.
EMA/E-911 Director and Trenton City Mayor Alex Case said he spoke with law enforcement when they arrived and they originally went to the wrong location. He gave them directions to the meeting location and they arrived a few minutes later – the Sheriff’s Department, Mullis and GSP.
Goff said the Sheriff was first, the next vehicle was Mullis and behind him were the two troopers and there were no lights on or anything to even indicate an escort. Goff said he heard Case giving them directions and GSP was there to discuss the traffic flow problem.
Another accusation by Moore is that he was purposely not invited to the meeting. Moore said he feels this was done in order to make it look like he was not involved in his district’s problems.
“Mullis made sure I was not invited to represent our people in this meeting. A meeting regarding State property in Dade County, Georgia, which I also represent,” Moore said. “This is a crystal clear display of Jeff Mullis’ shady tactics and the inability of working on a team with other elected Representatives. 30 minutes before the meeting, I was notified. Thank you Georgia Department of Natural Resources - Georgia DNR for their openness and willingness to make changes to facilitate the increased demand of our state park.”
Moore shared a Facebook post on Mullis’ page as evidence which led him to believe Mullis was in charge of Thursday’s meeting.
The post says, in part, that “Senator Jeff Mullis arranged a meeting this morning for Dade County Executive Ted Rumley, other local officials, the Georgia State Patrol, and the Department of Natural Resources to discuss how we will continue to monitor the issues at Cloudland Canyon State Park, especially the traffic problem on GA HWY 136 on the weekends, to find solutions.”
Mullis said he was contacted by Commissioners regarding the problems with traffic and the number of visitors to Cloudland Canyon State Park. The Commissioners also sent a letter to Governor Brian Kemp asking for the park to be closed temporarily due to concerns regarding the possible spread of COVID-19.
"My arrangement of the meeting was by my contacting the Commissioner of DNR Mark Williams with County Executive Ted Rumley," Mullis said. "(Williams and I have serviced together in the Georgia Legislature.) I asked him to send someone from DNR to meet with Dade County Commissioner Chair Ted Rumley. The DNR and Ted invited the others. My job was to arrange the meeting which I did."
“DNR was responsible for inviting people to the meeting,” Mullis said. “I didn’t know he (Moore) needed a royal invitation.”
County Executive Ted Rumley and Commissioner Allan Bradford both confirm that they were invited to attend the meeting by DNR. Rumley said he was told the meeting would be at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday and they wanted the Commissioners to be there to meet with Director of State Parks Jeff Cowen and others to discuss how to handle the issues with traffic and visitors the county has been facing.
“I don’t know who did the inviting, if anybody,” Goff said. “Jeff Mullis didn’t invite me. Ted told me they were going out there and asked if I wanted to go.”
“Everyone involved in the meeting knew about it,” Bradford said. “I was the second person there, about 45 minutes before the meeting started and Colton was already there. The State Parks Director Jeff Cowen showed up next.”
Bradford said he was not sure where Moore’s statements came from, a sentiment echoed by others who were in attendance at Thursday’s meeting.
“Mr. Moore struggles with telling the truth,” Mullis said. “He says so many things that are untrue, he can’t keep up with what is true.”
A good thing about the meeting is that the park service and county officials have a plan. The bottom entrance to the park at Sitton’s Gulch, will be closed temporarily.
Goff said that park service officials are going to police the park and when it gets full – 150 cars – then they will close it down for two hours. No more having traffic parked and waiting for people to leave so they can enter.
In a press release on Friday, Mullis says “We are working together to protect the residents of Dade County and the surrounding areas and have discussed plans on how we can increase traffic flow while maintaining the health and safety of both residents and visitors. As always, do not hesitate to reach out with any concerns. I would like to thank Dade County Commission Chair Ted Rumley and the other commission members, Georgia Municipal Association Director and Mayor Alex Case, Sheriff Ray Cross, the DNR Officers, and Georgia State Patrol Officers for working with us to help keep the Salem Community and all of Dade County safe."
Mullis is running to retain his seat as Georgia State Senator for the 53rd District. Representative Moore has chosen not to run to retain his seat, but is instead challenging Mullis for his seat in the State Senate.
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