Atlanta’s Inspector General Shannon Manigault took City Hall by surprise in May when she testified during the public comment period during a council meeting that the office’s investigations into misconduct are being blocked internally by top officials.
She described an environment where the watchdog office struggles to access necessary documents for probes. Manigault also said that her office uncovered emails from city department heads instructing staff to recount their interviews from OIG investigations.
During a lengthy interview with the Center for Civic Innovation, a progressive policy nonprofit, the inspector general said that pushback to the office’s investigations still persist.
Of the 90-plus investigations currently open within the office — which vary in severity — Manigault said all of them face uphill burdens of getting access to records or employees.
“We can’t continue to do our work because of these roadblocks that have been set up to keep us from doing our work,” she said. “That’s something that every taxpayer, every person who cares about the success of the city of Atlanta should care about.”
Manigault’s public statements about obstruction have drawn both praise and ire from the city’s elected officials. Some council members have accused her of exaggerating.
Sources inside City Hall say that some lawmakers have considered legislation to dampen the office’s power, although none has emerged.
The city’s Department of Labor and Employment Services told council members last month that the department is collaborating with Human Resources and the Department of Law on employee training related to ethics and inspector general investigations.
“We will focus on proper protocols and communication and being responsive to requests,” said Labor Commissioner John Flanagan. “And we’ll develop policy and procedure guidelines for all employees from the lens of communication and cooperation.”
Speaking of ethics, the city also announced that Dicken’s administration officials are slated to participate in an ethics training in partnership with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government housed within the University of Georgia. The sessions aim “to enhance ethical awareness and decision-making” by city staff.
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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Former President Donald Trump made an appearance in Atlanta on Saturday at the same venue in which Vice President Kamala Harris drew thousands of supporters less than a week ago.
While rallying the crowd, he renewed his long-standing feud with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, our AJC colleague Greg Bluestein reports, and took aim at the state’s Capitol city.
“Under these kinds of woke, radical left polices, Atlanta is like a killing field and your governor ‘ought to get off his ass and do something about it,” Trump said to the crowd that gathered at the Georgia State Convocation Center.
The former president also attacked Georgia State University for allegedly blocking “thousands of people” from the venue which resulted in a high number of empty seats in the audience.
Atlanta’s elected leaders were quick to hit back at the former president. In a more than 4-minute video, Dickens decried Trump’s statements about crime in the city and attacks on Atlanta institutions.
“He’s running scared, and he told lies about Georgia State, told lies about the city of Atlanta, talking about our crime rate, say there’s a killing field — no stats,” the mayor said. “Atlanta, Georgia last year had the fourth highest drop in violent crime of any major city in the United States of America. And I’m very proud of that.”
City Council President Doug Shipman also pointed to work done by City Council on behalf of the mayor’s office to help reduce crime statistics.
“Truth and facts matter,” Shipman posted on social media. “Please don’t come to our city and lie about our city.”
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In May, Dickens made a series of significant cabinet changes which included the departure of Chief Operating Officer Lisa Benjamin. The former top official recently joined Lexicon Strategies — a consulting firm with deep ties to the city.
Benjamin’s new partner role will focus on public-private partnerships, nonprofits and corporate affairs, according to the firm. And due to her recent ties to City Hall, will not be permitted to work with the City of Atlanta for a year.
Prior to working for Dickens’ administration, Benjamin served as president and CEO of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity as well as the Vice President and COO of the Atlanta Beltline.
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Credit: Miguel Martinez
Credit: Miguel Martinez
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