Governor Nathan Deal has received the indictment of DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis and must now form a commission to determine whether he should be suspended from office.

Deal was given the indictment in a letter from DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James Thursday morning.

The 15-count indictment accuses Ellis of trying to extort campaign contributions from companies and their employees. The indictment also alleges that Ellis instructed the county's director of purchasing and contracting to prevent certain companies from getting business because they didn't respond to his solicitations and didn't contribute to his campaign.

Ellis has said that he has done nothing wrong.

Deal now has 14 days to assemble the three-person commission.

Tags: suspension, governor deal, DeKalb County CEO, burrell ellis