Judge scandal; State budget freeze; FIFA inspires kids

Summary

Georgia Today Podcast – July 31, 2026

Host: Orlando Montoya (GPB News)
Main Themes: Federal judge impeachment scandal, state budget freeze preparations, Georgia libraries' new career certificate partnership, FIFA Women's World Cup inspiring local youth

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Episode Overview

This episode of Georgia Today offers sharp coverage and interviews on three major state topics:

• The fallout and impeachment calls following a federal judge’s misconduct
• Governor Kemp’s directive to freeze state agency budgets in light of uncertain revenues
• Innovative career pathways through Georgia’s libraries and Google
  The show wraps on a lively note, heading to a youth soccer camp electrified by the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Atlanta Federal Judge Scandal & Impeachment Threat

[00:35 – 07:20]

• Background on Judge Eleanor Ross:

  • Accused of sexual misconduct with a police officer in her chambers
  • Attended a partisan political event
  • Lied to investigators and attempted to blame a law clerk
  • Received only a private reprimand from a special judicial committee

• Impeachment Resolution:

  • U.S. Representatives Clay Fuller and Andrew Clyde (North Georgia) are pushing for impeachment
  • House Judiciary Committee to decide on hearings

• Expert Analysis – Prof. Clark Cunningham (GSU Law):

  • Defines her “deceptive behavior” and "shamefully trying to place blame" as official misconduct
    • Quote: "That kind of misconduct involving deception was blocking an official proceeding. ... as I read the impeachment clause, that constitutes a grounds for impeachment even though it might not be a crime." (Cunningham, [01:44])
  • Emphasizes seriousness of the coverup over the sexual affair itself
    • Quote: "...what's much more serious is the fact that she lied about it when she was responding to an official inquiry." (Cunningham, [02:30])
  • Criticizes the decision for only private reprimand
    • Quote: "It was really inappropriate for them to only issue a private reprimand. ... The real question here is how should the public be protected? And the private reprimand didn't protect the public at all." (Cunningham, [03:24])
  • Notes differences in state vs. federal judicial accountability: Georgia's independent commission would likely have acted more robustly
    • Quote: "Unfortunately, the federal judiciary doesn't have an independent agency to handle these kinds of misconduct. ..." (Cunningham, [04:18])
  • Highlights recusal only applies in narrow circumstances; most parties won’t be able to force Judge Ross off their cases ([04:58])
  • Federal judge impeachments are rare, mostly nonpartisan; only about 7 federal judges have been removed this way in US history ([05:36])
  • Points out that impeachment doesn’t require a crime, just official misconduct
    • Quote: "The research that I have done with a colleague shows that ... the meaning of the impeachment clause is not limited to crimes, but also covers what in those days was called a high misdemeanor. Today we would call it official misconduct." (Cunningham, [06:38])

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2. State Budget Freeze Directive

[08:23 – 08:57]

• Kemp’s Warning:
  • All Georgia state agencies ordered to maintain current spending levels and plan for “contingencies”
  • Triggered by state income tax cuts and economic uncertainties
• Reporting by Sarah Kalis:
  • Agencies are not to request extra funds (FY27, FY28); they may redirect existing funds
    • Key context: Fiscal year 2027 began July 1
  • GPB News’ own funding is partially state-supported

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3. Workforce & Economic Updates

[08:57 – 11:29]

• Wellstar Layoffs:
  • 800 jobs cut, mainly corporate; front-line care teams mostly retained
  • State labor commissioner outlines jobless and reemployment services for affected workers
    • Quote: "We're able to reconnect Georgians that have been separated from work back into the workforce..." (Labor Commissioner, [09:32])
• Georgia Automotive Sales:
  • Hennessey Automotive’s $1.7B sale to Group 1 Automotive; includes 11 luxury/import dealerships
• Film Production:
  • 280 productions in FY26 (up from 245 FY25); spending remains at ~$2B

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4. Georgia Libraries x Google: Free Career & AI Certificates

[11:29 – 12:15]

• New Public Access Certificate Programs:
  • Free Google certificates now available to all library cardholders statewide
  • Topics: IT support, cybersecurity, digital marketing, responsible AI use
• Featured Voice – Angela Stanley (State Librarian):
  • Quote:
    • "We really feel like these tools...put the information in the hands of the people who need it most." (Stanley, [11:52])
• Goal:
  • Make upskilling and career transitions more accessible for Georgians

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5. FIFA World Cup’s Local Impact: Youth Soccer Inspiration

[12:15 – 14:01]

• Audio Postcard from Cherokee County Soccer Camp:
  • Coach Manuel Salgado observes heightened enthusiasm among young players post-World Cup
    • Quote: "The World cup has given a lot of opening up the ice for everybody around the world, especially here in Georgia, about what potential we have..." (Salgado, [13:05])
  • Local players discuss excitement about passing drills and big game days
    • Nikki K.: "You could pass to them so they have an easy shot." ([13:19])
    • James K.: "We have game day and that really got all of us really excited." ([13:31])
    • Connor Smith: "We're always rooting for this one team and then whenever they score it's just crazy." ([13:40])
  • Uplifting look at grassroots enthusiasm for soccer in Georgia

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Judicial Ethics:
  • "[Judge Ross] responded by engaging in deceptive behavior and quite shamefully trying to place blame on the law clerk who filed the complaint." – Prof. Clark Cunningham ([01:44])
  • "If she had lied about something much more mundane but still deceived the chief judge, that would be equally grounds for impeachment." – Prof. Clark Cunningham ([02:30])
• On Public Accountability:
  • "The biggest problem is by keeping it private...it kept the information away from parties..." – Prof. Clark Cunningham ([03:24])
• On Local Soccer Spirit:
  • "The World cup has given a lot of opening up the ice...especially here in Georgia, about what potential we have." – Coach Salgado ([13:05])
  • "We're always rooting for this one team and then whenever they score it's just crazy." – Connor Smith ([13:40])

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Notable Timestamps

• 00:35 – Judge Ross misconduct, context for impeachment
• 01:44 – Prof. Cunningham: impeachment standards and deception
• 02:30 – Analysis of focus on sexual vs. deceptive misconduct
• 03:24 – Critique of private reprimand and lack of public protection
• 05:36 – Rarity of federal judge impeachments, historical context
• 06:38 – Impeachment does not require criminal conduct
• 08:23 – State budget freeze memo coverage
• 09:32 – Wellstar layoffs, state labor commissioner’s response
• 11:29 – Georgia Public Library/Google certificates partnership
• 12:30 – Soccer camp: World Cup’s impact on local youth

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Tone and Takeaways

The episode maintains a steady, policy-oriented tone, with clear, accessible explanations from legal and education experts. It manages to capture both the seriousness of government oversight and the hopeful energy of public service and youth sports.

For listeners:

• Stay informed on judicial ethics and oversight
• Be prepared for state budget tightening
• Explore free pathways for career advancement via Georgia libraries
• Experience the infectious post-World Cup soccer fervor across Georgia’s young athletes

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Transcript

[A]

Hello, and welcome to the Georgia TODAY Podcast. Here we bring you the latest reports from the GPB newsroom. On today's episode, some lawmakers want an Atlanta federal judge impeached. Kemp warns state agencies to watch their spending. And Georgia libraries have a new partnership to help residents learn new career skills.

[B]

We really feel like these tools, whether it's addressing artificial intelligence or user experience, design or cybersecurity, really put the information in the hands of the people who need it most.

[A]

Today is Friday, July 31st. I'm Orlando Montoya, and this is Georgia Today. A federal judge in Atlanta is facing calls for her impeachment after an investigation found that she had sex with a police officer in her chambers, attended a partisan political event, and then lied to investigators about the alleged misconduct. A special committee appointed by the chief judge of the 11th Judicial Circuit gave Judge Eleanor Ross a private reprimand for the behavior. But North Georgia U.S. representatives Clay Fuller and Andrew Clyde want her removed from the bench. They filed an impeachment resolution against her last month. It'll be up to the House Judiciary Committee to determine if the lifetime appointed judge will face impeachment hearings. Georgia State University law professor Clark Cunningham has has served as an expert on legal ethics in a number of major cases and is the university's W. Lee Burge Chair in Law and Ethics. I asked him if Judge Ross case merits impeachment.

[C]

Well, according to the report, she received a request from the chief judge in response to an anonymous complaint from one of her law clerks, and he requested her to respond. And she responded by by engaging in deceptive behavior and quite shamefully trying to place blame on the law clerk who filed the complaint. That kind of misconduct involving deception was blocking an official proceeding. That's official misconduct. And certainly, as I read the impeachment clause, that constitutes a grounds for impeachment even though it might not be a crime.

[D]

What about the sexual activity portion of the complaint? Are we making a mistake by focusing on that aspect of the of the misconduct?

[C]

I do think it's a mistake to focus on the sort of salacious details of the fact that she was having an affair inside of her office. That by itself might be grounds for impeachment. But what's much more serious is the fact that she lied about it when she was responding to an official inquiry. You know, if she had lied about something much more mundane but still deceived the chief judge, that would be equally grounds for impeachment. Having said that, there are certainly concerns about the fact that she took advantage of the privacy and security of her office to conduct this extramarital affair. That's a problem. And it's a problem that she withheld that information from public. So the people who had cases in front of her that might involve the Atlanta Police Department did not know that she had a sexual relationship with a high ranking officer.

[D]

She was given a private reprimand. Do you have any problems with the way that she was reprimanded?

[C]

I think it was really inappropriate for them to only issue a private reprimand. The mistake of thinking of this is simply a question of should she be punished? The real question here is how should the public be protected? And the private reprimand didn't protect the public at all. The biggest problem is by keeping it private. Except for the fact that the media managed to out her, we would not have the possibility of impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives. And that's the only way to remove a judge like her that's been appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Also, it kept the information away from parties. At least one party, the government in one case successfully brought a motion to recuse her based on the findings of the report.

[D]

If this had been a lower judge, an attorney, even just an ordinary person conducting this type of conduct, would they be getting a private reprimand?

[C]

Well, interestingly, if she was a judge in the state court system in Georgia, which she was at one time, the process would have been quite different. We have an independent judicial qualifications commission that I suspect would have taken a firmer position on this. Unfortunately, the federal judiciary doesn't have an independent agency to handle these kinds of misconduct. It's all done by committees of judges sitting a judgment on each other.

[D]

You mentioned recusal. Several parties have requested that she recuse herself from various cases, and in one case she did. In your opinion, does this type of conduct require her to recuse herself?

[C]

Really, it has to be on a case by case basis, and the recusal statute is pretty narrow. And it basically requires that showing of her impartiality should be questioned or she has a personal bias or personal knowledge as to the particular case that happened to work out in the case, the U.S. v. Brad Raffensperger, because one of the findings was that she had attended a political fundraising event for the district attorney of Fulton county, and that was a fairly close connection to the issues in that case. But otherwise, I don't think people will have much success getting her off their case.

[D]

How rare are impeachments and convictions of

[C]

federal judges in the course of American history? There have only been about 22 articles of impeachment passed by the House of Representatives. Not many convictions, and of those, 20 to 15 have involved federal judges. The only people removed so far in American history under the impeachment process have been federal judges. And that's been a smaller amount, about seven, I think.

[D]

Does this end up being a partisan affair like a lot of things are in Congress?

[C]

Well, let's hope not. Of course, if she is removed, that creates a vacancy for President Trump to fill. And she was appointed, I believe, by President Obama. So it might be that Republicans would have a greater interest in removing her than Democratic members of Congress. But that shouldn't be an issue. The real issue is should she continue to be a federal judge?

[D]

And your answer is no.

[C]

No, I don't think she should be. I think her conduct really is pretty grave misconduct. I think it shows that she's untrustworthy and lacks integrity.

[D]

Does there have to be a crime for there to be an impeachment?

[C]

It's important that if this comes to the House of Representatives, that the members of Congress understand that something doesn't have to be a crime for impeachment. And that's been an issue back and forth. In the first impeachment of President Trump, his lawyers argued that abuse of power and obstruction of Congress couldn't be impeached because it was not a crime. I think that's an accurate argument. The research that I have done with a colleague shows that the meaning of the impeachment cloy is not limited to crimes, but also covers what in those days was called a high misdemeanor. Today we would call it official misconduct. And that could be critical in this case because it might not be that she's committed a crime, but she hasn't been engaged in official misconduct.

[A]

GPB has reached out to the 11th Judicial Circuit seeking comment from Judge Ross. We have not heard back. A former Georgia lawmaker pleaded guilty yesterday to pandemic related unemployment fraud. The U.S. justice Department says Sharon Henderson pleaded guilty to making false statements in order to fraudulently obtain thousands of dollars in emergency pandemic era jobless benefits. The agency says Henderson applied for the benefits in 2020, claiming her current employer was Henry County Schools, although she had not worked there for almost two years. The Covington Democrat is the third former Georgia lawmaker to plead guilty to similar charges. Governor Brian Kemp is preparing state agencies for a possible revenue slowdown following a cut to state income taxes this year and shifting economic headwinds. GPB Sarah Kalis reports in a memo

[E]

sent to state agency heads. Office of Planning and Budget Director Richard Dunn says state agencies should hold their spending at current levels and create contingency plans identifying potential efficiencies and savings. That means state agencies can't request more funding for the fiscal year 2027 mid year budget and the 2028 budget. Fiscal year 2027 started on July 1. Although agencies are being told not to request more money, they can request some of their existing funding to be redirected to meet new needs. For GPB News, I'm Sarah Kalis.

[A]

Georgia Public Broadcasting is a state authority that receives part of its funding from the state of Georgia. Georgia's labor commissioner is responding to a massive layoff announcement this week. One of the state's largest healthcare Systems, Marietta based Wellstar, said on Tuesday that it's downsizing by nearly 800 employees. Labor Commissioner Barbara Rivera Holmes addressed the layoffs yesterday at a job fair in Alpharetta, north of Atlanta. She highlighted state jobless benefits to help affected workers.

[F]

Through our resources with unemployment insurance but also our re employment services, we're able to reconnect Georgians that have been separated from work back into the workforce, wellstar said.

[A]

Frontline care teams were not impacted and many of those laid off were on the corporate side. The company employs about 30,000 people in Georgia. A Georgia auto group is selling its dealerships and real estate assets to one of the nation's largest publicly traded auto retailers, Atlanta based Hennessey Automotive and Houston based Group 1 Automotive, and announced the $1.7 billion deal yesterday. The transaction includes 11 dealerships in luxury and import brands, including Lexus and Jaguar. Roller coaster fans will get one more weekend of rides at a metro Atlanta amusement park that's closing on Sunday. Florida based Fun Spot America announced the closure of its park in Fayetteville in June. Originally opened as Dixieland park in 1990, it's operated as fun spot since 2017. For the past three years, it's featured a coaster known as Air Force One, which it describes as the nation's largest zero G stall. Georgia film productions increased slightly in the fiscal year that ended in June. The Georgia Film Office yesterday reported 280 total productions in FY26, up from 245 in the year before. Total production spending remained relatively steady at $2 billion. The increase comes as production budgets industry wide have declined amid multiple disruptions. Georgia residents now can earn free Google career and AI professional certificates at local public libraries. GPB's Ivana Gonzalez has more on the program, designed to help people learn new skills and and advance their careers.

[G]

The Georgia Public Library Services partnership with Google provides library cardholders access to certificates in several disciplines, including IT support, cybersecurity, digital marketing and how to responsibly use AI. You can sign up through the Georgia Public Library Service website. State Librarian and Vice Chancellor of Public Libraries Angela Stanley says they're excited about the partnership.

[B]

We really feel like these tools, whether it's addressing artificial intelligence or user experience, design or cybersecurity, really put the information in the hands of the people who need it most.

[G]

Stanley says making the certificates available is a great way for Georgians to better position themselves for the next step in their career. For GPV News, I'm Ivana Gonzalez.

[A]

Now that the FIFA World cup is over, young soccer players are taking their inspiration back to their home pitches. GPB's Tori Mooney has this audio postcard.

[H]

At 9:30 on a Wednesday morning in Cherokee county, the sun is out and Georgia Impact Soccer Club's summer camp is in full swing. Kids weave across the field, passing, dribbling and jumping into drills under the eye of their coach.

[I]

My full name is Manuel Francisco Salgado. I am the lead coach for U9 and Premier coach for U10.

[H]

Coach Manuel Salgado has been part of Team Georgia Impact for years.

[I]

I used to play here at Impact growing up till probably 8th grade and

[H]

after the World cup took an international audience by storm. Salgado says young Cherokee county players are feeling the momentum.

[I]

The World cup has given a lot of opening up the ice for everybody around the world, especially here in Georgia, about what potential we have, seven year

[H]

old Nikki K. Says. Today's focus is passing.

[J]

When you're passing, just say there's three guys on you and somebody's wide open. You could pass to them so they have an easy shot.

[H]

His twin brother James is gearing up for a big competition on Friday.

[J]

We have game day and that really got all of us really excited.

[H]

9 year old Connor Smith says watching the World cup with his dad makes him excited about soccer.

[J]

We're always rooting like for this one team and then whenever they score it's just crazy.

[H]

James K too is feeling the energy. His favorite players, Nicholas K. And Dylan K. His brothers. For GPB News, I'm Tori Mooney.

[A]

And that's it for today's edition of Georgia. Today we have more Georgia [e-mail] news we always encourage you to hit subscribe, subscribe on the podcast that helps you and it helps us by keeping you

[D]

current with us in your feed.

[A]

We'd love for you to send us feedback as well. We take story suggestions and ideas@georgia todaypb.org it's the weekend. I hope you have a good one. I'm Orlando Montoya. I'll be back again on Monday with another edition of Georgia Today.