(Updated) DOT Chairman Mike Evans resigns ... because of love

Love will tear us apart ... from our positions on powerful state agencies!

Georgia Department of Transportation Chairman Mike Evans admitted to the state agency’s executive board today that he and new Commissioner Gena Abraham have been “dating,” a DOT spokesperson says. Evans will resign from the chairman position and the board effective immediately. Evans was elected to the DOT board in 2003 and was elected chairman in 2006.

No word as to how long they’ve been dating and how much their relationship played a role into Evans joining Gov. Sonny Perdue to support Abraham over state Rep. Vance Smith, R-Pine Mountain. Speaker Glenn Richardson wanted Smith in the job. That battle was a nasty one, resulting in House members who opted for Abraham to be stripped of their prized office spaces and placed on committees for not kowtowing to the Speaker’s wishes.

Lots of unanswered questions. Why now? Apparently, Abraham and Evans both came to DOT Board Vice Chairman Garland Pinholster two weeks ago and informed him of their budding relationship. They wanted to disclose it, Evans says, and move forward appropriately. Will Abraham face any punishment or penalty? We’ll find out April 21. The board has scheduled a special meeting for that date. Why does Mike Evans remind me so much of Huey Lewis? Unfortunately, this is more of a personal issue that I prefer to allow figure itself out.

We’ll have more on this as the day unfolds.