Mayor candidate to return donation linked to Telegraph reporter

A candidate for mayor has been asked to return a campaign donation after it was learned the money was inadvertently given in the name of a Macon journalist.

Longtime Telegraph reporter Joe Kovac Jr. said his wife, who is an employee of Sheridan Construction in Macon, made a private donation in her name and one in her husband’s name, each for $2,800, to mayoral candidate Lester Miller.

Kovac said the donation in his name was unintentional. Miller has said he will return the money given in Joe Kovac’s name.

“We want to be transparent in these situations, and Joe has assured me that he was unaware his name was on the donation,” said Blake Kaplan, The Telegraph’s interim executive editor. “As an extra precaution, I have informed Joe that he will have nothing to do with The Telegraph’s coverage of the mayor’s race.”

Miller is in a tight race for mayor with six other candidates. The election is May 19.

This story was originally published January 17, 2020 at 11:55 AM.