FBI Targets Public Corruption in Georgia

[mefree]

I deliberated on where to post this. Here's hoping that the FBI checked in on legislators influencing DCH officials. I caught a snippet of something on WSB news this morning. The video below is from October. So, I'll post a new one if I can get it.

Georgia FBI assembles new team targeting corrupt public officials

Atlanta Area Rises Near Top In Corruption Cases; FBI Enforcement Push Cited

Atlanta region sees spike in public corruption cases- AJC

FBI discusses GA public corruption investigations - video- WSB-TV

Widening Gwinnett probe sends ex-official to prison - AJC

[mefree]

Here is another.
http://bcove.me/4vyhi27w

[snippy]

Wow! This is great!

[mefree]

Wow! This is great!

Sounds like there's more to come!

[Mary_McConnell]

Great News! Thanks

[mefree]

DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis charged with 14 felonies - AJC
Updated: 5:16 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, 2013 | Posted: 4:38 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, 2013

DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis has been indicted by a DeKalb grand jury today on charges he illegally pressured contractors into giving him campaign contributions.

The 15-count indictment includes 14 felonies. Among them, four counts of extortion, two counts of theft by taking and several conspiracy charges.

DeKalb District Attorney Robert James, in an afternoon news conference, said Ellis is charged with extortion and other felonies for soliciting campaign contributions under threat.

The indictment, as read by James, says Ellis extorted CIBER Inc., a vendor in DeKalb, by threating a local manager. It says Ellis threatened to tell CIBER’s CEO that the local manager, Joanne Wise, delivered poor customer service if she did not agree to a campaign contribution. The indictment said Ellis acted similarly with other vendors and used DeKalb employees to draft lists of contractors doing business with DeKalb for the purpose of extorting them for campaign cash.

“This is a sad day for DeKalb County,” said Commissioner Lee May, who serves alongside Ellis. “While every person is innocent until proven guilty, this ongoing saga has been a distraction and continues to bring unwelcome negaive attention to our county and our government.”

For a year, a special grand jury investigated possible corruption in the county water and sewer department contracts and eventually it led to search warrants being executed at Ellis’ home and office and at the home and of attorney Kevin Ross, the CEO’s former campaign manager....

Video: http://www.ajc.com/videos/news/dekalb-county-da-announces-indictment-against-ceo/v4kGy/

Indictment: http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/news/documents/2013/06/18/DOC061813-06182013143907_1.pdf

more at http://www.ajc.com/news/news/breaking-news/dekalb-ceo-ellis-indicted/nYN8S/

[snippy]

 
So many scoundrels. So little time. And this has to be just the tip of the iceberg. Thanks for posting this, mefree.

[mefree]

YW

[Damian DeWitt]

Perhaps the FBI will wake from its slumber in Georgia and Florida in regard the corruption of officials by Scientology.

[mefree]

Perhaps the FBI will wake from its slumber in Georgia and Florida in regard the corruption of officials by Scientology.

I keep hoping that one thing will lead to another, so to speak.

[mefree]

An update on Burrell Ellis and friends.

DeKalb special grand jury recommends 12 for criminal investigation - WSB-TV
Updated: 11:47 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013 | Posted: 6:10 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2013

Key county officials include former CEO and public safety director

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. —

A special grand jury report documenting alleged corruption in DeKalb County is now public and Channel 2 investigative reporter Jodie Fleischer got her hands on the first copy.

The report identifies names, including indicted CEO Burrell Ellis, but it also recommends several key public officials for further criminal investigation.

Ellis' attorneys have been fighting the release of the report over the last seven months.

"It lays out many more alleged crimes than we saw in his criminal indictment," said Fleischer.

She says the report also suggests there may be many more public officials and private contractors in trouble.

Fleischer said the only recommendation for indictment is now-suspended CEO Burrell Ellis. The report accused him of not only shaking down vendors, for campaign contributions, but also directing the cancellation of contracts to steer business elsewhere as Channel 2 Action News first exposed.

The report also says he dictated which individuals should be placed on selection committees for key contracts, and interfered with their final recommendations.

The grand jurors also said former CEO Vernon Jones should be criminally investigated for possible indictment on bid rigging and theft allegations. In statement to Channel 2 Action News, Jones said he felt the "report appears to be a political preface statement as to who should have been elected to run county government and has no factual foundation or legal basis to recommend any criminal investigation against me."

Video and much more at http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/breaking-grand-jury-report-documents-alleged-corru/nZYYD/

[mefree]

More in the corruption category, this time involving a contracting official with the GA DOD.

Ex-state Department of Defense employee indicted for corruption - AJC
Updated: 10:10 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014
By Alexis Stevens - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution with video from WSB-TV

A former contracting official with the Georgia Department of Defense has been indicted for allegedly awarding contracts in exchange for illegal kickbacks, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Thursday.

Raytosha Elliott, 33, of Atlanta, is accused of awarding numerous contracts to vendor companies created by her friends in exchange for 50 percent, U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said.

more at more at http://www.ajc.com/news/news/ex-state-department-of-defense-employed-indicted-f/ncrKf/