Cordele Chairman lawyers up in legal battle

Cordele City Chairman Joshua Deriso is fighting back against the charges leveled against him by a group of Cordele residents who want to see him removed from office.

CORDELE, GA- Cordele City Chairman Joshua Deriso is fighting back against the charges leveled against him by a group of Cordele residents who want to see him removed from office.

“Everybody was going to go against him, for what? Change was going to come anyway, so speak on that,” said Taiwana Porter.

The city’s chairman who campaigned on the importance of diversity and evening the playing field for Black and Brown people in Cordele has hired an attorney who isn’t a person of color. South Georgia Television News spoke to some people who say the chairman isn’t practicing what he preached.

“I think that’s interesting. I wonder why he would do that? If he’s for diversity, why wouldn’t he hire a Black man?” said Cathy Enelow.

Deriso’s attorney, Kurt Kastorf who is based out of Atlanta filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed against Deriso. People in

the City of Cordele react to Deriso’s decision to pick a non person of color to represent him.

“On my side, I’d go to a white man before I go for a Black because they ain’t going to listen to us Blacks, they going to listen to them Whites,” said Christonya Jones.

South Georgia Television News reached out to the city’s chairman to get his rationale for picking Kastorf. The chairman released a statement which reads, “God is in control,” said Joshua Deriso, Cordele City Chairman.

Residents of Cordele say they still have the chairman’s back despite the legal battles.

“He’s really trying to do something for the Black community,” said Anthony Morgan.