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South Fulton mayor breaks silence
The mayor of South Fulton has fired back. He called the City Council vote early on Wednesday morning to strip him of power, a coup by seven people to overthrow the will of the people of South Fulton. Thursday afternoon, Khalid Kamau, who's prefers to be called Kobi, is speaking out.
SOUTH FULTON, Ga. - South Fulton Mayor Khalid Kamau, who prefers to go by Kobi, says he does not know why this happened and is still in the dark.
He admitted he has made some mistakes with the city’s travel policy, but believes this reaction is over the top.
SEE ALSO: South Fulton city council restricts mayor’s authority, access to city buildings
South Fulton mayor responds to City Council
What they're saying:
Mayor Kobi appeared on the Big Tiger & Jazzy McBee Morning Show Thursday on Atlanta's V-103. "No one in the city is talking to me. When my badge stopped working and then the police showed up at my office," the mayor exclaimed Thursday morning. He said he was flabbergasted by the unanimous vote that city council members made to strip him of his power. "They took my keys. They kicked me out of my office. They kicked my staff out of my office. They took my car. I was there with First dog Zion. They put me out in the rain," Mayor Kobi said with regret.
The mayor admitted he made some missteps trying to follow city travel policy. He says he was marketing the city on trade missions to Colombia, Ghana, Paris, and Rwanda. A review of his receipts shows expenses on his purchase card, adding up to more than $26,000. "First of all, it's not $26,000. First thing is it's travel over two years. They've done a forensic audit on my card, but they haven't done one on the other people who have traveled internationally," the mayor said. He admitted that all the travel was not business. "Because some of the trip was personal, I turned down the per diem. I never stayed one night in a hotel, the entire 21 days. I stayed in people's houses. I stayed with friends. My 21 days in Ghana totals about $7,000," the mayor said.
"No, I didn't do everything the way it should have been done. See, a politician would lie to you, but I'm not going to lie. None of us were traveling the way that we should have," the mayor said. "This is political mudslinging," the mayor concluded.
South Fulton police on removing mayor from building
The other side:
After FOX 5 requested it, the City of South Fulton released videos of city police escorting the mayor out of the building and then cleaning out his electric car to relinquish it.
The city released a statement reading:
"The City of South Fulton remains committed to upholding the highest standards of governance, transparency, professionalism, and accountability in service to our residents. In response to concerns regarding unauthorized use of city resources and noncompliance with established policies, City of South Fulton City Council has exercised its authority to take corrective actions, protecting taxpayer resources.
"As part of this process, City Council, in coordination with the South Fulton Police Department, ensured the orderly implementation of these measures. The South Fulton Police Department’s role was strictly limited to maintaining safety and professionalism while facilitating the execution of the council’s directive without incident.
"The City of South Fulton remains focused on serving its residents and maintaining the integrity of city operations."
What's next:
The mayor says he will make an appearance at the Neighborhood Meetup on Thursday night, entitled The Truth About Data Centers.
Council members say the restrictions they imposed are temporary, but it is unclear when they will be lifted.
The Source: South Fulton Mayor Khalid Kamau, who prefers to go by Kobi now, appeared on the Big Tiger and Jazzy McBee Morning Show on Thursday on Atlanta's V-103. Aa statement from the city of South Fulton was also used. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting was used.