ATKINSON COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) - The Atkinson County Board of Elections has decided that candidate John Allen Moore is not qualified to run for mayor of Pearson.

The decision was made following a hearing by the Atkinson County Board of Elections & Registration on Thursday, Sept. 11.

This comes after two Pearson residents, Derek Larry Harper and Courtney Sutton, submitted challenges against Moore’s candidacy earlier this month.

In their challenges, both Harper and Sutton said that Moore had a Georgia Department of Revenue Tax lien that had been in existence for several years.

“As a part of Candidate Moore’s qualifying process, he had to swear under oath that he didn’t owe any unpaid taxes. That proved to be false. Apart from the actual tax lien, this deceptive action alone would disqualify him from his candidacy.”

Last month, Moore submitted an affidavit stating that he had no unpaid taxes.

According to the Atkinson County Board of Elections Supervisor, the affidavit was signed falsely.

According to Douglas Now, the Board of Elections was presented with “documentation showing a purported State of Georgia tax lien in the amount of $13,864.31, and a purported federal tax lien in the amount of $25,607.54.”

According to OCG 21-2-6, Moore has 10 days to file an appeal to the decision.

WALB will provide updates as we learn more. Stay with us.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2025 WALB. All rights reserved.