The findings of a yearlong investigation into allegations of bid rigging and kickbacks in DeKalb County contracts, made public for the first time late Wednesday, allege a culture of corruption that spans two administrations and runs from the top job in Georgia’s third-largest county down to workers and contractors in the watershed department.
Now-indicted CEO Burrell Ellis is the only person the report recommended be charged with crimes. But it says former CEO Vernon Jones and 10 others – including Ellis’ former chief of staff, public safety director and campaign manager – should be criminally investigated for their possible roles in manipulating contracts, theft and obstruction.
Jones criticized the report and said there was no basis for him to be investigated.
The report, completed in January but shielded from public view since, also calls for abolishing the powerful CEO position, saying the unusual government structure helps foster the culture where such corruption was tolerated and flourished.
“There was a pattern of behavior that was shocking to us,” Albert Trujillo, the retired insurance executive who served as the special grand jury’s foreman during its investigation, said in an exclusive interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Hearing testimony from watershed, we concluded we needed to look at the contract awarding process, which is centralized under the CEO and manipulated for personal gain.”
The question now is how much weight the recommendations will carry for future action.
Gwinnett District Attorney Danny Porter, who was involved in his county’s special-purpose grand jury investigation, said there is no legal requirement that any government agency follow the recommendations.
But more actions appear likely.
Through a spokesman, DeKalb District Attorney Robert James declined to comment about potential further criminal investigations. However, an assistant DA said in open court just last week that the office is engaged in “ongoing criminal investigations” related to the report.
via DeKalb report: Corruption spans administrations, all levels of… | www.myajc.com.
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