Longtime employee of the Chattoga County Probate Court and current Probate Court Judge Candidate Teresa Pope was terminated from her job as of today, according to Chattooga County Probate Judge Jon Payne.

Judge Payne says that information came to light that Pope couldn’t be employed at the Probate Office and be running for the position.  Judge Payne declined to comment further other than to say that he had made the decision after consultation with Chattooga County Attorney Chris Corbin.

Chattooga County Commissioner Jason Winters told The Summerville News today that Judge Payne had called the commissioner’s office to inform them that Pope should be taken off the county’s payroll as of today.

Pope has worked for 19 years at the Chattooga County Probate Court.  Pope is in a Republican Primary runoff election in August against Gary Woods.