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Atlanta's IG staff also targeted the fire department in bombshell letter

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Published  March 7, 2025 6:45pm EST
Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

Who did the Atlanta IG staff letter target?

The Atlanta Inspector General employees who crafted a bombshell letter to federal and state agencies didn't just target the mayor’s office. The four-page letter detailed several cases of alleged wrong doing by many other city employees.

The Brief

    • The Fire Chief and several members of his command staff were being investigated by the former IG.
    • Fire Chief Rod Smith, First Deputy Fire Chief James McLemore, Battalion Chief Arzell Bostick, and Section Chief Terrence Simon were mentioned.
    • The letter also says the IG's office was investigating alleged union busting that involved pressure, intimidation, and harassment of African American firefighters who sat on the IAFF Board.
    • The letter also alleges female firefighters are not welcome and are randomly reassigned.

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Inspector General employees who crafted a bombshell letter to federal and state agencies didn't just target the mayor’s office. 

The four-page letter detailed several cases of alleged wrongdoing by many other city employees.

Atlanta Fire allegations

Timeline:

On Nov. 27, 2023, the Atlanta Office of the Inspector General initiated an investigation into Deputy Fire Chief James McLemore, alleging he is using city equipment and property to run his private business, Executive Safety Concepts, LLC. 

The OIG found that McLemore hired Atlanta fire and rescue department employees to work at large conventions/events held in the city. The OIG found no evidence that McLemore and the employees he hired had department authorization for outside employment, and McLemore appears to have made false statements on city forms and under-reported revenues to the IRS.

The OIG also found evidence that Fire Chief Rod Smith may also have unreported outside employment/business.

On Nov. 26, 2024, the OIG initiated an investigation, alleging Atlanta fire, rescue battalion chief, Arzel, Bostick, and section chief Terence Simon of "Union, busting and pressuring, intimidating, and harassing African-American firefighters who chose to sit on the union board of international association of firefighters.

The complaint alleged his female firefighters are not welcomed and are randomly reassigned.

The complaint alleges the recent collective-bargaining process with the mayor "was contentious", with Fire Chief and (Rod) Smith advising the union to "wait until Dickens is reelected to get the contract as he has already spoken to Dickens about it". Smith advised the union to "not be on the wrong side of things when this comes down."

What they're saying:

Mayor Andre Dickens said, "We will not address any specific allegations, as doing so would be inappropriate while the investigations are ongoing."

Dig deeper:

Former Inspector General Shannon Manigault has hired Attorney James Radford to represent her.

The city asked Manigault on Wednesday to return all city-issued equipment and property by 12 p.m. on Friday.  

FOX 5 has learned she did not meet the deadline, but her attorney is talking to city officials and trying to return the property, which includes her credentials, her badge, four jump drives and external drives. 

SEE ALSO:

The Source: FOX 5’s Aungelique Proctor talked to city officials and reviewed documents and talked to inspector general staffers for this story.

AtlantaAtlanta City CouncilNewsAndre Dickens