Atlanta's inspector general faces pushback from City Hall
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Atlanta inspector general Shannon Manigault speaks at an Oct. 8 City Hall meeting. Screenshot: YouTube
A task force pondering whether to rein in the powers of City Hall's public watchdog will hear final arguments on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Created by the Atlanta City Council in 2020 on the tail-end of a long-running federal probe into City Hall corruption, Atlanta's Office of the Inspector General was charged with rooting out fraud, abuse and waste.
Catch up quick: The office's work has resulted in the firing of the city's Human Resources commissioner and spotlighted noncompliant purchases related to the 2022 Senior Ball (PDF).
- An early October report implicated two employees in the city's planning department and their supervisor in an alleged "pay to play" permitting scheme.
- Angela Epps, the supervisor, denied the allegations and was placed on paid administrative leave, Fox 5 reports.
Context: In May, inspector general Shannon Manigault told the Council her investigators were facing pushback from city leaders.
- In addition, she told the Council, she needed more funding; as of early August, her team was conducting roughly 90 investigations, Manigault told WABE.
Yes, but: Mayor Andre Dickens' administration has called for stronger guardrails and clarity about the investigative process.
- Some Atlanta City Council members including Michael Julian Bond and Andrea Boone have criticized the office's methods and questioning of employees. (Manigault denies the claims, Fox 5 reports).
Other council members support the inspector general's role but are open to potential reforms.
State of play: In early September, Council created a task force to consider recommendations. The task force, chaired by former Georgia Supreme Court Justice Leah Ward Sears, meets for the third and final time on Wednesday at 3pm.
The intrigue: Both Bond and Boone have been questioned by the IG over ties between city officials and city vendors, the Atlanta Community Press Collective reported.
What they're saying: "If we are not allowed to do our jobs, then the same corruption that was at the heart of the federal indictments will go unchecked, and that will impact all city of Atlanta taxpayers," Manigault told ACPC.
What's next: According to the legislation creating the task force, the group must produce a report with any recommendations by Friday, Oct. 18.