Douglas County bid-rigging trial: Secret recording played for jury

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. - Douglas County jurors heard a recording on Monday morning that was secretly taken by former Douglas County Administrator Mark Teal in 2018. 

It was a conversation between Teal and former Douglas County Purchasing Director Bill Peacock. Peacock was originally charged in the case, but his case was separated from those of the other defendants and he has been granted immunity in exchange for his testimony. 

Teal said the two were talking about a janitorial contract with Anthony Knight. 

"He said, so the scope that was attached to the contract, he said that's not the scope he bid on," Peacock said in the recording, referring to Knight. 

In the recording, Teal questioned how two companies bid the exact same amount during a re-bidding process. He said that he received two bids and sent those to tax commissioner Greg Baker, a co-defendant in the case. Baker was said to have received a 3rd bid directly from Knight. 

"The lowest quote that I sent him was for $2,100. Anthony’s quote was for $2,100," Teal said on the recording. 

"How does that happen," Peacock responded. 

"Very, very implausible," Teal replied. 

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The state is working to prove that Baker, now suspended Douglas County Chairwoman Dr. Romonna Jackson Jones and suspended County Commissioner Henry Mitchell worked together to give Knight the cleaning services contract at the Douglas County Annex Building. 

Knight is also charged in the case. Prosecutors presented several emails Monday as evidence of the effort. 

"Chairman just called and said we treated Mr. Anthony unfairly," Teal wrote in an email he read in court Monday. "We called him at the last minute and added more duties to the contract. I told the chairman that if we did, we told everyone at the last minute." 

Teal testified that he believed there were multiple problems with the bid process and, ultimately, Knight's contract. Teal said after the contract was awarded there were issues with what Knight's team was supposed to clean. 

"Wow would you classify this dispute over work," prosecutors asked Teal. 

"It was ridiculous, it was not even close to what the scope of work was," Teal replied.