August 9, 2012
By: John Clark
A former county commissioner in central Georgia asked a bankruptcy judge this week to dismiss his filing, claiming that he has resolved his issues with his numerous creditors, according to a report from the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
But while former Gwinnett County Commissioner Kevin Kenerly may soon be done with his bankruptcy filing, the elected official’s legal troubles are only just beginning.
According to sources, before filing for bankruptcy, Kenerly was accused by Gwinnett County officials of committing criminal bribery in October 2010.
That month, a special grand jury charged Kenerly with a felony count of bribery after learning that he allegedly agreed to accept $1 million in exchange for convincing his county to purchase land from local developer David Jenkins.
In addition to the felony bribery charge, the grand jury also charged Kenerly with two misdemeanor counts related to his failure to disclose his financial interest in several properties that the county rezoned.
After the wave of allegations struck Kenerly, he resigned from his post, but he has also steadfastly denied the criminal charges and has asked the judge to dismiss all the accusations. Of course, even if his case is dismissed, Kenerly still has numerous financial issues to resolve.
Sources say that Kenerly filed for bankruptcy last December in an effort to eliminate more than $3 million in debt. These debts include $1.7 million owed on his home mortgage and $720,274 in unpaid mortgage payments for a vacation home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Kenerly’s bankruptcy filing was, in part, an attempt to prevent foreclosure on both of these homes. Thus far, his attempt appears to be successful.
In addition to the home mortgage lenders, Kenerly also reportedly owes more than $20,000 in late property taxes on his Gwinnett County home.
In his recent court filing, however, Kenerly claims that he "has resolved or is well underway with the process of resolving problems and issues with his secured creditors and there is very little unsecured debt in his case."
As a result, Kenerly has asked the court to dismiss his bankruptcy case. Sources say that the local bankruptcy court will hold a hearing on August 15 to consider his motion to dismiss the action.
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