The Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation into the possible unlawful use of revenue at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport based on an article published in The Atlanta Journal Constitution.
The news story, which was published on AJC.com in late June, details how the city paid three law firms more than $7 million to respond to federal subpoenas from a grand jury investigating corruption at Atlanta City Hall.
RELATED CONTENT: AIRPORT AND CITY HALL
Some of that money came from airport funds and the article quoted experts who raised questions about whether it was spent lawfully. Airport funds must only be spent on capital and operations expenses at the airport, according to FAA regulations.
“While we recognize that legal expenditures are permissible under certain circumstances, this article raises questions that the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Office of Airport Compliance and Management Analysis (ACO) must address,” wrote Kevin C. Willis, the director of the compliance office, in a letter dated July 26.
The letter, obtained by the AJC on Thursday, is addressed to Balram Bheodari, Hartsfield-Jackson’s interim general manager.
ORIGINAL DOCUMENT: SEE THE LETTER
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· Atlanta bribery probe: When has the city received federal subpoenas?
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