State Investigating Voter Intimidation By Trenton Police Chief And Commissioner

By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor

The Georgia State Election Board is investigating reports of voter intimidation by Trenton Police Chief Steve Beaudoin and Trenton Police Commissioner Mike Norris during the Nov. 4 election.

Per the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, records can’t be released while the case is under investigation, but the office did send a case sheet which described the case as “Dade County-Voter Intimidation Nov. 2025.” Per the case sheet, Robin Rogers (county attorney) submitted the report, Norris and Beaudoin are the defendants, and a state investigator has been assigned.

The incident in question happened at around 5 p.m. on the day of the election. The voters involved were Southeast Lineman Training Center (SLTC) students who lived within the city and who registered to vote.

As a refresher, this election was a City of Trenton election for two commission seats, a vote on Education Special Purpose Option Sales Tax, and a state Public Service Commission election for two seats.

The Sentinel contacted one of the SLTC students involved, but he and his friends did not feel comfortable going on the record. However, Tommy Bradford (Dade County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy) reported that he took statements from a number of students after people mentioned the incident.

His interviews with the students were recorded on his body camera, but because the state is investigating, that evidence can’t be released yet.

As Bradford summarized for the Sentinel, Ryan Faircloth picked up students (many from Linemen Inn) to take them to vote. (Faircloth also posted publicly on Facebook that he was proud to have driven first-time voters to the polls.) After one group finished voting and was waiting for Faircloth to return, they saw a man sitting in a truck with his phone pointed at them. They thought he was taking photos or recording them, so they posed with their thumbs up.

The man called them over, and once closer, they saw that he had a badge on. The man was Beaudoin, as confirmed by Faircloth and security footage.

Beaudoin threatened to put the linemen in jail, saying that they had shown him the middle finger. They explained that they had only given the thumbs up sign. Bradford specifically asked if anyone in the group had used the middle finger, but all said that no one had.

Note: It is not illegal to show a middle finger to a police officer. Cases across the nation have historically decided that this action is protected by the First Amendment as free speech.

The Sentinel asked Faircloth for his summary of events. He said, “What I personally witnessed was Steve following us, recording video, and then speaking with the linemen while I was dropping off the second load of voters.”

Faircloth didn’t hear the conversation between the students and Beaudoin, but he said, “A couple of the linemen later asked whether they were going to be arrested for voting, stating that a police officer sitting in a truck had allegedly told them they would be arrested or pulled over for disorderly conduct if they voted.”

The Sentinel asked why Faircloth chose to drive students to vote, and he explained several reasons why he felt that change was needed on the city commission. Specifically of the police commissioner seat, he explained, “After I hosted my Sinatra Night event [at The Groovy Nomad], the police commissioner had Steve send officers across the street to observe and monitor me. I felt that this behavior was inappropriate and reflected poorly on the leadership and priorities of the police department. That was when I concluded that change in city leadership was necessary.”

As to why he drove SLTC students specifically, Faircloth said, “The linemen staying in our community were, during that time, residents and citizens of this community as they pay taxes and are governed by local law and law enforcement. My intent was to support civic participation and help two individuals who understand today’s economic realities, the value of hard work, and the operational demands placed on businesses from which the city collects taxes.”

The Sentinel confirmed that the “two individuals” Faircloth referred to were Austin Henegar (candidate for police commissioner) and Cody Doyle (candidate for parks and recreation commissioner).

Returning to Bradford’s account, he said that Norris called him alleging that Faircloth had given the students alcohol in exchange for their votes for Henegar and Doyle. When Bradford asked the students if this happened, all said no, but he also went to SLTC and spoke with a few instructors who reported hearing that students had received alcohol in exchange for votes.

Bradford asked the students why they chose to go vote, and they said riding in the party van appealed to them. Bradford asked if the vehicle showed up the evening of the election or if they’d known about it prior. The students said word had circulated before election day at school that someone would be driving students to the precinct.

The Sentinel asked Faircloth if he gave the students alcohol. He said he did not give them anything at all. He concluded, “I am aware that some people have described my actions as unethical. However, many more have expressed support and appreciation.”

The Sentinel asked each of the five candidates for the city commission if they spoke with any SLTC students while campaigning and/or if they campaigned at Linemen Inn in Trenton.

Corbin York did not respond. Terry Powell and Norris both said that they did not speak with SLTC students.

Doyle answered, “I did not until election day when they approached me on the square.” [The Sentinel can confirm that he was set up right by Highway 11, over 150 feet away from the precinct.] “I knocked on doors that ended up being linemen students but I only spoke to one, the rest were not home and I left a card on their doors. I never went to Linemen Inn.”

Henegar answered, “I spoke with them as we had heard they were having a lot of issues with the city police officers.”

While the security camera footage from the Dade County Administrative Building (the Trenton voting precinct) does not include audio—nor can it prove whether or not bribery of any kind was involved—it does align with Faircloth’s and the linemen’s accounts.

The footage (obtained through Open Records Request) shows Beaudoin pulling into the parking lot at the corner of Case Avenue and Church Street across from the Trenton precinct and pointing a cell phone at a group of SLTC students (wearing SLTC shirts) who gather just outside of the commission room external exit.

While the students wait for the rest of their group to finish voting, they begin looking in Beaudoin’s direction. Looking toward Beaudoin, one throws up both arms in a shrug and questioning manner.

Another student takes a few steps toward Beaudoin with one outstretched open hand and appears to ask questions. Then, most of the group gives the thumbs up signal. At this time, one student makes some sort of gesture, but it isn’t clear if he has an index finger, middle finger, or combination of fingers up.

Beaudoin waves for the students to come to him, so two walk up to his truck window, and they talk for two minutes. The two rejoin their group and wait for Faircloth’s van to return.

When the van pulls up, the group crosses Case Avenue and the parking lot, and several students wave at Beaudoin, again giving him a thumbs up. Faircloth gets out of the van and goes over to Beaudoin’s window. They talk for just over a minute. The group loads up into the van which drives away, and the second group that had exited the van walks over to the precinct.

About 20 minutes later, Norris pulls up, exits his vehicle, and walks over to Beaudoin’s window. They talk for under three minutes (and a man who appears to be Norris’ son exits Norris’ vehicle and joins the conversation). All three return to their respective vehicles and drive off.

The Sentinel asked Lowanna Vaughan (elections supervisor) if she was made aware of the situation and if so, what steps she took to resolve the situation. She wrote, “We did receive a complaint. I did not witness the incident but we did feel that it should be reported. We filed an Incident report.”

This is the report that Rogers filed with the State Election Board.

The Sentinel asked Alex Case (City of Trenton mayor) about his involvement in handling the situation, but he said that because the city contracts with the county to run elections, it’s up to Vaughan to handle complaints and reports. Case said he was letting the city clerk and city attorney handle any matters related to the incident.

This situation stirred up discussion (yet again) about whether or not SLTC students should be able to vote in local elections. The law is clear: Students (just like military families) can register to vote in the place where they live, even when it’s a temporary home. However, people have their own opinions about the law.

Over the last two months, the Sentinel has had conversations with locals on the subject. Some feel that SLTC students should not be able to vote in local elections. Others compare it to military personnel, saying that there would be outrage if someone tried to prevent service men, women, and their families from voting.

Everyone the Sentinel spoke with had no problems with students voting in national elections via Dade County precincts, but one said that SLTC students who don’t come from Georgia shouldn’t be able to vote in state elections either.

One citizen told the Sentinel that students should be required to get a state license plate if they’re allowed to vote in local and state elections. Let’s compare this to the requirements for military personnel. Per the Georgia Department of Revenue, “As a non-resident military person stationed in Georgia pursuant to the military orders, you are not required to register your vehicle(s) in this state as long as your vehicle visibly displays a valid license plate from your home of record state.”

Angie Galloway (tax commissioner) explained to the Sentinel, “Students are exempt from titling and tagging because they aren’t permanent residents. If they choose to stay longer than the school term, they do register a vehicle after getting the driver’s license. Covenant College students aren’t required to title and tag. A few do, but the same applies: They have to have a Georgia driver’s license and Georgia insurance.”