On Friday, May 30, 2025, WLBT reported that U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate recused himself from a bribery case involving former Canton city engineer Rudy Warnock and former CMU Board of Commissioners member Cleveland Anderson.
Wingate, who had overseen the case for over three years, issued a one-page recusal order after reviewing a list of expected and potential witnesses. The judge noted that several witnesses were personally known to him from his youth, and one had provided legal representation to some of his relatives. The witnesses’ identities were not disclosed in the order.
The case was reassigned to District Judge Carlton Reeves through a random selection process. This development follows a recent status conference held in the case.
Warnock and Anderson were indicted in December 2021 for their alleged roles in a bribery scheme alongside two former Canton aldermen. Warnock faces three counts of conspiracy to commit bribery and one count of wire fraud, while Anderson is charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit bribery. Both have entered not guilty pleas.
Court records indicate that Warnock allegedly provided multiple bribes to Anderson to secure favorable engineering contracts with the Canton Municipal Utilities (CMU). Additionally, Warnock is accused of collaborating with Canton Board of Aldermen members to remove a CMU commissioner who had demanded, but did not receive, a $200,000 bribe.
Former aldermen Eric Gilkey and Andrew Grant, also implicated in the scheme, each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery earlier in the proceedings.
Source: WLBT
