The former head of the main union representing Atlanta’s police officers was quietly removed from his post late last year after an audit and investigation alleged he had misused union funds, according to a report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The investigation found that Jason Segura, who was president of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers union Local 623 since 2019, funneled money from the union into a nonprofit he and his wife created to support first responders during last year’s protests, according to the report.
Segura’s removal from the union came as the city was still reeling from a summer defined by widespread outcry over police brutality. Last year brought additional attention to the union, which defended several officers who were fired and charged in use-of-force incidents. But the news of the investigation was largely kept quiet.
Segura, a sergeant who has been with the Atlanta Police Department since 2008, also spent over $5,000 in union funds at restaurants near his home in Columbus, Georgia, and took out $1,500 in cash using an ATM card belonging to the union, investigators found.
The National Association of Government Employees, the organization that oversees the local union, suspended Segura in November 2020 and temporarily took control of the group. His union membership was revoked after the investigation, documents show.
Atlanta police records show Segura is now under internal investigation by the department’s Office of Professional Standards. A department spokesman confirmed the investigation, which began in February, is still open and ongoing. He is still employed with the department.
Segura denies the accusations. His lawyer, Derek Jones, said in a statement to the AJC that all of Segura’s expenses followed the union’s practices, and that the union funds sent to the nonprofit were approved. He said the national union retaliated against Segura after he said he wanted to leave the organization over a perceived lack of support from national leaders last summer.
“Never in all his service has his integrity or honesty been questioned,” Jones said. “There is absolutely not truth to any allegation that he misused funds or conducted any improper financial transactions.”
A copy of the 20-page report compiled by the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE) detailing the probe was shared with the AJC.
Vince Champion, the southeast regional director of IBPO, confirmed that the local union is “moving forward” under new leadership after the national organization temporarily took it over.
In a statement Friday, NAGE National President David Holway said the union “has returned to local control with a new president. The report speaks for itself.”
The financial issues came to light after NAGE conducted a random audit on the union’s finances, and directed Champion to take a closer look at the issue, the report stated. IBPO Local 623 is the main union that represents and advocates for APD officers, who pay dues to the group.
Credit: JOHN SPINK
Credit: JOHN SPINK
“There was a loss of trust. ... These funds could be used toward the benefit of officers within their work capacity or with the community. And they’re being used elsewhere,” said one APD officer and union member who is familiar with the probe. They spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation, and said many officers do not yet know about the report’s findings.
Segura did not attend or present any evidence in his defense at a Dec. 22 hearing held by the national union, per the report. Champion testified at the hearing that it appeared Segura had sole control over the union’s books.
Between January and October 2020, over $4,770 in purchases were made at restaurants in Columbus with a card linked to the union’s bank account, according to the report, which notes that Segura lived in Columbus, 90 minutes south of Atlanta. The investigation also found multiple ATM withdrawals, but no receipts or documentation to explain the purchases.
The investigation also revealed that the union’s executive board under Segura’s leadership did not keep any notes and did not maintain or present any financial reports at its membership meetings, the report stated.
The probe zeroed in on a nonprofit charity Segura started with his wife last year called First Responders Support Fund, which raises money for law enforcement officers. Its website states it collects money “for officers in general,” and especially for the Atlanta officers involved in the fatal police shooting of Rayshard Brooks and an incident during a protest in which police used Tasers on two college students.
The nonprofit is registered with the state as a 501(c)3 and appears to be still operating. Though the nonprofit was not associated with the union, Segura transferred union funds to the charity, the investigation found. That included a $1,000 check for “administrative services” in July 2020, and a $4,365 check that was equal to the amount the local union had received as a donation intended to support officers after the events of last summer, according to the report.
Amid protests over police brutality and racial injustice last year, the national organization sent $25,000 to the local union to hire a public relations specialist. According to the report, Segura initially deposited the funds into the nonprofit, but returned them to the local union after meeting with national representatives. The report stated it is “inappropriate to channel union funds to a family organization.”
Segura previously said the nonprofit raised over $100,000, the report stated.
Jones, Segura’s lawyer, said the sergeant sought help from NAGE last summer, but the organization’s support “was tepid at best.” The attorney said the nonprofit supports union members and other first responders, and Segura and his wife did not benefit financially from the charity.
“Local 623 historically donates to members in need, as well as other worthy causes. How they donated funds from their local budget has never been questioned as long as the expenses benefit the members directly, or indirectly,” Jones said.
He said NAGE “failed to ask Sgt. Segura a single question prior to taking punitive action, which was unprecedented. ... NAGE acted against Sgt. Segura after his efforts to obtain proper support from them failed.”
In a Jan. 27 letter to Segura revoking his union membership, Holway, the national NAGE president, said: “It is unfortunate that your conduct resulted in this outcome. Nevertheless, I am confident that moving forward, IBPO Local 623 and any local officials in place will act in the best interest of the membership.”
Newsroom data specialist Jennifer Peebles contributed to this report.
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