A Fulton County judge ordered local elections officials to make available documents linked to a state investigation into potential irregularities of the December runoff that yielded a narrow victory for Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Superior Court Judge Craig Schwall issued an order this week that county officials should grant Georgia Secretary of State’s Office investigators “immediate access” to ballots, recaps, tally sheets, voter applications and other documents related to the Dec. 5 contest.
A spokeswoman for Secretary of State Brian Kemp, a Republican candidate for governor who oversees Georgia elections, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Channel 2 Action News last week that investigators requested records to conduct a forensic review of the contest.
The probe involves irregularities over absentee ballots in the head-to-head matchup between Bottoms and Mary Norwood in December, according to two people with direct knowledge of the investigation.
It adds to the swirl of state and federal investigations into Atlanta City Hall that are already delving into allegations of bribes, potential violations of state sunshine laws, improper credit card spending and excessive bonuses involving the previous administration.
Fulton County Director of Elections Richard Barron has declined to comment on the inquiry.
The mayor’s office earlier said it is “confident our campaign acted within the boundaries of the law.”
Read more: State probing voting problems in Atlanta’s mayor race
About the Author
