Mayor Dickens accuses former IG staff of spreading lies amidst corruption allegations

ATLANTA - Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens says the staff of former Inspector General Shannon Manigault is spreading lies about him.

He claims Manigault is the one who broke the law with her almost 50 subpoenas. 

What we know:

Five employees from the inspector general's office sent out a public letter with eight investigations they were working on to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, State Attorney General, and State Inspector General, asking them to investigate where the IG left off. The FBI says it has not yet received the letter in question. However, the FBI receives many complaints of criminal activity, and how we handle them is a confidential process. Similarly, to protect the privacy of individuals who contact the FBI, we cannot confirm or deny any specific contact. As a general matter, allegations of criminal conduct are reviewed by the FBI for their merit, with consideration of any applicable federal laws.

What we don't know:

It is unclear whether the US Attorney's Office, the Georgia Attorney General, or the Inspector General will look into the investigations. It is uncertain if many of the numerous city employees named in the letter will be investigated.

The backstory:

After about a year of feuding with the mayor and city officials, Inspector General Shannon Manigault stepped down. Her Deputy Chief, Shelby J. Williams, who was one of the authors of the letter, resigned Monday. Her last day working was Tuesday, March 4th. Mayor Andre Dickens appointed Judge LaDawn Blackett as the interim Inspector General, Friday, February 28th, in a move that was criticized by former Council President Felicia Moore. Moore says the appointment was illegal. The mayor's office points to Section 2-184 of the Municipal Code that allows the mayor to make an appointment when there is a vacancy. Both Moore and Mayor Dickens say the IG board nominates the IG, and the city council votes on the individual.