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Atlanta shaken by new 'pay to play' scandal involving city officials: report

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Published  October 3, 2024 7:43pm EDT
Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

Another city of Atlanta bribery scandal

Allegations of "pay to play" are rearing their ugly heads in the city of Atlanta again.

ATLANTA - Allegations of "pay to play" have resurfaced in Atlanta, as the Office of the Inspector General released a damning report Wednesday implicating city employees in a bribery scheme. The report accuses two former employees and a current supervisor in the Department of City Planning's Light Commercial Division of accepting bribes to expedite building permits. 

The investigation, which spanned a year and a half, names permit technicians Sheaner Magee and Shaniecia Tucker, along with their supervisor Angela Epps. Assistant Deputy Inspector General Shelby Williams explained that Epps was placed on paid administrative leave late last month. "The specific conduct that was reported to us was customers being contacted to pay for an expedited review related to the permitting process," Williams said. 

The OIG report found that the employees solicited arbitrary payments from customers and contractors seeking to cut through bureaucratic red tape. According to Williams, "As little as $50 up to $1,200" was demanded to expedite the process. 

The revelation has raised eyebrows across the city, drawing uncomfortable comparisons to a much larger corruption scandal in 2017 that led to the convictions of several individuals, including construction owners E.R. Mitchell and Charles Richards, as well as Pastor Mitzi Bickers, on charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and money laundering. "Memories are very short, and so here we are in the week of that scandal, and there are still remnants of that behavior still here," the Inspector General remarked. 

The report, titled "Office of the Inspector General Finds Bribery Within the Light Commercial Division of the Department of City Planning Office of Buildings," has been turned over to the Fulton County District Attorney’s office for potential criminal charges. "The recommendation was for them to review criminal charges related to the activity of these employees? For all three? Yes," Williams confirmed. 

Epps denies all allegations. 

The creation of the OIG followed the 2017 scandal, aiming to restore public trust and prevent similar misconduct. This latest investigation, however, raises the question: Could Atlanta city employees be involved in a "pay to play" scenario again?