Johnny Edwards, an investigative reporter, covers state and local government and private sector regulation. His work at the newspaper over the past 12 years has rooted out corruption and abuse, leading to changes in state law and federal investigations. In 2014, his reporting exposed how DeKalb County elected officials used their discretionary budgets for personal benefit, triggering an FBI investigation that resulted in criminal charges against a county commissioner and three other people. In 2016, he served on the team behind the AJC’s Doctors & Sex Abuse project, a Pulitzer finalist. Edwards led the newspaper’s 2019 coverage of the Georgia House speaker’s use of legislative leave to delay criminal cases for clients of his private law practice. He was part of the team behind the AJC's Dangerous Dwellings series on persistently dangerous apartment complexes, winner of 2022 national awards from both Investigative Reporters & Editors and the National Headliners Awards. Contact him at johnny.edwards@ajc.com.