\r\n20 February 2013,\r\n\r\nFireworks erupt in court over DeKalb corruption case<\/a>,\r\nby Jodie Fleischer for WSB-TV,\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nThe special grand jury investigating DeKalb County corruption\r\nreleased its report to the judge more than a month ago. So far, he\r\nhas refused to release that report.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n \r\n24 August 2013,\r\n\r\nCulture of corruption reigns in DeKalb, says grand jury<\/a>,\r\nby Alan Judd, Bill Rankin and Bill Torpy for the AJC,\r\n \r\nTo understand the brazenness of the corruption alleged by a special\r\nDeKalb County grand jury, consider this: Officials awarded a $2.2\r\nmillion-a-year tree-trimming contract to a fake company created by a\r\nCartoon Network employee who didn’t so much as own a chain saw.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n \r\n16 July 2014: \r\nGovernor suspends Burrell Ellis, names Lee May interim DeKalb CEO<\/a>,\r\nby Paul Yates for FOX 5,\r\n \r\nThe suspension is effective immediately, Deal said. It will last\r\nindefinitely either until the court case is completely adjudicated\r\nor Ellis term is up.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nThe move comes after a state-appointed panel recommended suspension\r\nof Ellis on Monday. Ellis was indicted on 15 counts last month.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n“This is not something that I seek,” said Deal. “It is a very\r\ndifficult kind of situation for everybody involved.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nProsecutors say Ellis tried to extort campaign contributions from\r\ncompanies and their employees. Prosecutors allege Ellis instructed\r\nthe county’s director of purchasing and contracting to prevent some\r\ncompanies from getting business because they didn’t contribute to\r\nhis campaign.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n \r\n23 August 2014:\r\nCorruption in DeKalb meets consequences<\/a>,\r\nby jsq for LAKE.\r\n \r\n25 August 2014:\r\n\r\nDeKalb Commissioner Boyer resigns, saying, \u2018I\u2019ve betrayed the people\u2019<\/a>,\r\nby Johnny Edwards and Mark Niesse, AJC.\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nBoyer would not detail what she had done or answer specific\r\nquestions about her spending, saying her attorney had advised\r\nagainst it because she is cooperating with law enforcement.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nFederal prosecutors in June had subpoenaed purchasing card records,\r\nincluding invoices and receipts, from all DeKalb County\r\ncommissioners as well as nearly 300 county employees.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n \r\n2014-08-27:\r\n\r\nFBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office Has Been Investigating DeKalb County for Months<\/a>,\r\nby Lisa George for 90.1 FM WABE,\r\n \r\nIn announcing criminal charges yesterday against former DeKalb\r\nCounty Commissioner Elaine Boyer, U.S. Attorney Sally Yates\r\nconfirmed DeKalb County has been under investigation for several\r\nmonths.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nDeKalb Interim CEO Lee May confirmed more than two months ago that\r\nFBI investigators had contacted him. “I’ve spoken to them.\r\nI’ve been fully available to them to answer any questions,” May said\r\nduring an interview with WABE in June. “You know, I am cooperating\r\ncompletely with them.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n2014-09-05:\r\n\r\nFeds widen investigation into DeKalb County spending<\/a>,\r\nby Johnny Edwards for AJC,\r\n \r\nA federal grand jury has served DeKalb County with a wide-ranging\r\nsubpoena for vendor payment records, a clear sign that a corruption\r\ninvestigation won’t end with this week’s guilty plea by\r\nex-Commissioner Elaine Boyer. Investigators want evidence of what\r\nwork was done for the money, such as reports, written opinions,\r\naudits or correspondence.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\nIncluded on the subpoena are two companies operated by Commissioner\r\nSharon Barnes Sutton’s ex-boyfriend, Warren Mosby. HSI Systems &\r\nConsultants and RighThink Associates received more than $34,000 in\r\ntaxpayer funds during Sutton’s first two years in office, mostly for\r\nMosby’s advice on how to be a commissioner, The Atlanta\r\nJournal-Constitution reported last week….\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n2014-09-08:\r\n\r\nFederal Investigators name 62 DeKalb Commission vendors in subpoena<\/a>,\r\nBrookhaven Post,\r\n \r\nA Federal Grand Jury has widened their net on County commissioners\r\nspending. Federal authorities served DeKalb County with a\r\nwide-ranging subpoena for vendor payment records on Friday.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n62 vendors have been named in the subpoena, who were paid by all\r\nsitting commissioners, dating back more than five years. Interim CEO\r\nLee May, who was a commissioner before being named to replace\r\nsuspended CEO Burrell Ellis, is also included.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n \r\n2014-09-08:\r\n\r\nLawyers in Ellis Trial Vet Potential Jurors<\/a>\r\nby Jonathan Shapiro for 90.1 FM WABE,\r\n \r\nThe corruption trial of suspended DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis\r\nkicked off today with jury selection.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nEllis faces 13 felony charges including theft, bribery, and\r\nallegedly shaking down county vendors for campaign contributions.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n
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<\/a>\r\nOnly Channel 2’s Jodie Fleischer was there as a judge lashed out at\r\nprosecutors who want the public to see a secret corruption report.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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<\/a>\r\n“I’ve betrayed the people and I’ve abused my position of\r\npower,” she said, “and so I feel like I need to do this\r\nand publicly acknowledge that I’m ending my position today as of 5\r\no’clock.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
![](\"http:\/\/www.ticklethewire.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/jbrittjohnson_thumb1.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\nLaw enforcement officials did not say much about the investigation.\r\nHowever, Britt Johnson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Atlanta\r\nField Office, did say, “We’re very aware of all the very\r\npublic allegations about the activity in DeKalb County, and we’ll be\r\nlooking into all of ’em.”\r\n<\/p>\r\n![](\"http:\/\/web.co.dekalb.ga.us\/boc\/images\/rader_big.gif\")
<\/a>\r\nMay also provided the FBI with his purchasing card records. All\r\ncommissioners have done so. Commissioner Jeff Rader tells WABE a\r\nfederal grand jury served a subpoena for all commission members’\r\npurchasing card records. Working through the county attorney’s\r\noffice, commissioners provided the records to meet a late July\r\ndeadline.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n
![](\"http:\/\/web.co.dekalb.ga.us\/boc\/images\/lmay_big.gif\")
<\/a>\r\nThe subpoena names 62 vendors paid by all the remaining sitting\r\ncommissioners and Interim CEO Lee May, dating back more than six\r\nyears. May was a commissioner before replacing suspended CEO Burrell\r\nEllis, who goes on trial Monday on corruption charges of his own.\r\n<\/p>\r\n![](\"http:\/\/web.co.dekalb.ga.us\/boc\/images\/watson_big.gif\")
<\/a>\r\nProsecutors also want records on The Consulting Firm, which\r\nCommissioner Stan Watson paid $1,880 this year to develop a website\r\nthat solicited campaign donations — a violation of the state\r\nethics law.\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n\r\n
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<\/a>\r\n