The FBI and the GBI have had a year and a half to figure out whether District 4 Commissioner Sammie Sias has done anything wrong. It’s time for the two law enforcement agencies to wrap up the investigation so Sias can get his life back if he’s done nothing wrong and so Augustans can know whether one of their commissioners corrupt or an innocent man wrongly targeted.
It has been 18 months, and both agencies still list the investigation as active but refuse to divulge any information or offer a timeline as to when the investigation will wrap up. While we understand that law enforcement investigations can take time, this one is dragging on too long with no word at all as to even what the timeline is. That is not fair to anyone.
The entire saga began when Sias’ alleged former lover, Willa Hilton, sent a letter to the commission accusing Sias of corruption.
Hilton accused Sias of siphoning funds from the Jamestown Community Center, which he operated with her. She also accused the commissioner of drinking alcohol at the center, carrying a firearm and viewing porn in his office.
While the sexual affair is a matter between Sias and his spouse, the charges of stealing tax funds is serious. If convicted of such a scheme, Sias will go to jail and his political career will be over.
Generally, the FBI is known for swiftly conducting investigations, especially when they center around a public figure. That is not the case with the Sias investigation. Each and every time The Augusta Press has contacted the agencies, we get the same response which is basically, “No comment.”
Meanwhile, Sias continues to make decisions on behalf of his constituents, and those constituents have a right to know if he is a crook. After all, he is making decisions on how to use taxpayer money.
Sias has maintained his innocence, and one would think investigators could easily follow the money to determine whether any tax dollars are missing or were misappropriated. If so, then the FBI/GBI should arrest Sias and turn the matter over to the courts. If not, then Sias should be publicly exonerated.
Sias’ term on the commission expires in 2022, and he is ineligible to run again due to term limits. However, Sias may want to run for another seat in the future. Having the burden of an active criminal investigation on his back would make running for another office problematic, to say the least.
It is time for the GBI/FBI either to fish or cut bait. If the man did something wrong, then arrest him. If not, then exonerate him.
Dragging out the investigation with no end in sight is harmful to both Sias and the community he serves.
