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As Coweta County commission candidate Tim Ryan promotes what he calls “Mixer-gate,” records and internal correspondence from Meals on Wheels show the dispute involved unauthorized fundraising, escalating concerns about his behavior, and actions the organization says were necessary to protect its integrity.
Tim Ryan has recently drawn attention to a Meals on Wheels fundraising dispute he refers to as “Mixer-gate,” framing it as a turning point in his public life.
But documents, reporting, and new context suggest the episode was less about a misunderstanding — and more about how Ryan operated when told to stop.
The renewed focus on the mixer dispute comes after weeks of reporting by The Citizen detailing Ryan’s record as a teacher, including documented complaints, a sheriff’s report tied to a student suicide attempt, and firsthand accounts from students and parents alleging inappropriate behavior.
Ryan has since pointed to the Meals on Wheels episode as a central controversy in his public narrative, portraying himself as the victim in the dispute.
“We were concerned by his behavior”
In a letter shared with board members and volunteers, Meals on Wheels Board President Cynthia Bennett made clear the organization’s stance.
“We were concerned by his behavior and worked to distance ourselves from him,” Bennett wrote. “Our goal is, and always will be, to protect the integrity of the organization and ensure the safety of our clients, staff, and volunteers.”
The letter confirms the organization took formal action in response to Ryan’s conduct.
“The actions this Board took in May and June of 2025 were measured and correct. We moved as swiftly as possible to send cease and desist letters to Mr. Ryan via our attorney in May and August of 2025.”
Those actions followed Ryan’s launch of a public fundraiser using the Meals on Wheels name.
A May 20, 2025 cease-and-desist letter instructed Ryan to stop representing the organization and to cease contact with staff and volunteers, stating he was not authorized to fundraise on its behalf.
A 392-pound “solution”
Ryan initially promoted the fundraiser as a way to help Meals on Wheels purchase a needed mixer.
He later pivoted, suggesting the equipment was intended for an individual chef — more like a personal tool. He raised $2551 on the gofundme.
But the item purchased was anything but portable.
The fundraiser paid for a 30 qt. commercial planetary mixer, delivered on a pallet. A comparable model sold on Amazon — the same platform used for the purchase — weighs approximately 392 pounds. And that doesn’t include the weight of the pallet.
This was not something that could be carried in and out like a set of knives.
According to a person familiar with the facility, the mixer sat outside for more than 12 hours after delivery because staff could not move it.
Sources said the unit did not fit the kitchen’s footprint. There was no way to bring it inside, both from a way to transport it in and where to put it, as there was no dedicated floor space big enough to accommodate it.
In short, the equipment could not be used as intended. Meals on Wheels gave it to a catering company after Amazon refused to take it back.
Escalation and law enforcement involvement
The dispute extended beyond the equipment itself.
Meals on Wheels leadership said Ryan was not authorized to raise funds using the organization’s name — a requirement under Georgia law governing charitable solicitations.
Despite being told to stop, the situation escalated.
According to Ryan’s own account and reporting by the Newnan Times-Herald, Meals on Wheels leadership ultimately involved law enforcement, and Ryan was instructed not to return to the facility. He was trespassed by the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office.
Frost connection surfaces in donor list
The fundraiser also reveals a political connection that may be new to many voters.
The largest single donor — $600 — was Krista Frost.
Frost is the wife of Brant Frost IV, the founder of First Liberty Building and Loan, a Newnan-based firm that collapsed last year and was identified as the SEC as a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors out of over $155 million.
While the donation itself is not evidence of wrongdoing in the fundraiser, it places Ryan within a network of individuals tied to one of the largest financial scandals in Georgia history.
A Coweta County Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Ryan sought proximity to that influence.
“He wanted to court their favor because they had the influence, they had the financial pieces,” the source said.
Another Coweta County Republican, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, described a 2025 party meeting where Ryan was not an observer but actively involved.
“Tim Ryan was sitting on stage, taking minutes,” the source said, describing a contentious meeting in which longstanding Republicans pushed unsuccessfully for a clean break from Frost family influence. Another source, confirmed that Ryan was onstage, but indicated he was a timekeeper.
Advancing Frost’s agenda at convention
Ryan’s involvement extended beyond local politics.
At the June 2025 Georgia Republican Party convention, Ryan — a Coweta County delegate — moved to end debate on procedural rules introduced by Brant Frost V, calling for a vote before delegates could fully discuss them and effectively advancing Frost’s agenda at a key moment.
Context from prior reporting
The renewed attention to the mixer dispute comes after extensive reporting by The Citizen on Ryan’s conduct as a teacher.
An April 6 investigation found that Ryan resigned from Coweta County Schools after a series of documented complaints contained in a personnel file exceeding 150 pages.
A follow-up April 14 article included firsthand accounts from former students and parents alleging patterns of inappropriate behavior, including isolating students, making sexualized comments, and, in one case, encouraging self-harm.
School system records show that in May 2024, the superintendent directed Ryan to cease communication with a student and her family and to avoid being alone with students in unsupervised settings.
Ryan later addressed those accounts in comments to another publication.
What voters are left to weigh
The Meals on Wheels episode, when viewed in full, is not simply a dispute over a mixer.
It includes:
- an unauthorized fundraiser conducted in a nonprofit’s name
- the purchase of a 392-pound commercial mixer delivered on a pallet that could not be used
- escalation to cease-and-desist orders and law enforcement involvement
- and connections to political figures tied to a major financial scandal
As Ryan continues his campaign for county commission, voters are left to decide what that pattern says about his judgment — and whether it reflects how he would serve in public office.
This story was edited at 2 p.m. on 4/20 to edit details around the identity of the mixer donor and Tim Ryan’s role at the Republican meeting.
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