Supreme Court candidate says opinion put out day before primary ‘more than just a little suspicious’

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]A special committee of the Judicial Qualifications Committee says two Supreme Court candidates violated the code of ethics for judges during their campaigns. Channel 2's Richard Elliot joining us now live outside the Georgia Supreme Court building in downtown Atlanta with why those candidates called the timing of the release of those findings suspicious.

[00:00:21]And that could be because tomorrow is election day and this is just now being released. Basically, that committee said the challengers violated judicial ethics code because they campaigned on their own platforms. But one incumbent justice says that's why the ethics code is there.

[00:00:38]This is the ruling by the Judicial Qualifications Committee special committee released Monday only after a secret fight in federal court. After an unnamed complaint, the committee said it quote reasonably believes Ms. Jordan and Ms. Rankins campaign conduct violates Georgia's code of judicial conduct. It found that Jordan stating that she will quote restore abortion rights of elected violated the code section that prohibits judicial candidates from making statements or promises about things that might come before the court. More than just a little suspicious. We talked with Jen Jordan who questioned the timing of the release literally a day before the election. She says as a candidate she has to talk about issues or voters won't know to vote for her and therefore she feels she didn't violate anything. As long as we're not prejudging a case that it is absolutely appropriate under the First Amendment for us to talk about our beliefs, um our experience, our backgrounds, all the things that then allow a voter to make a decision. I think that fundamentally misunderstands the role of a judge. Jordan is challenging incumbent Justice Sarah Warren. Warren points out this is a non-partisan race and she says justices cannot come onto the bench with an agenda. A judge does not campaign on policy promises or agendas and judges don't decide legal cases based on personal preference or their own policy views. Judges decide cases based on the facts and the law that are presented in specific cases.

[00:01:59]Now, that special committee ruling is just an opinion. The full JQC would have to meet and make a decision. No word when or if it will do that. We're live in downtown Atlanta, Richard Elliot, Channel 2 Action News.