Abbey Winters, the wife the Chattooga County Commissioner Jason Winters, assaulted a reporter during a county budget meeting on Friday, December 13th. According to a police report and The Summerville News, the wife poured a drink on AllOnGeorgia reporter Casie Bryant’s head and then told her that she “deserved” it.
Winters is seen a photo taken by Summerville News with her hair and coat soaked. After the episode, Bryant remained quiet while others confronted Winters for her behavior.
Reporter Casie Bryant waits silently after the Chattooga County Commissioner’s wife, Abbey Winters, poured a soda over Bryant’s head. (WTCV/Summerville News)
“Oh that’s classy!” a taxpayer attending the meeting can be heard saying in video footage from AllOnGeorgia.com.
According to The Washington Post, Bryant had not ever written a critical story about the county commissioner. Instead, the commissioner’s wife might have been motivated by a Facebook post where Bryant appeared to criticize a trip the official took to France.
“Fresh off his trip to Paris, he’s ready to talk about the budget to the PUBLIC,” the post read.
The commissioner and his wife told the police that the incident was not intentional, and that Winters “ accidentally” poured the drink on Bryant.
Delvis Dutton, the owner of AllOnGeorgia criticized Winter’s behavior and subsequent excuse in a statement published on the site.
“The media plays an integral role in ensuring transparency, and these types of antics are dangerous to open government and a disservice to the people it serves,” Dutton said.
After the meeting, Winters turned herself into the Chattooga County Jail, and was released on a $1,520 property bond. She has been charged with simple battery and disorderly conduct.
The Washington Post AllOnGeorgia.com
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