Inspector general investigating State Ethics Commission officials

By Rhonda Cook

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia’s Inspector General is investigating two top  State Ethics Commission officials to determine if they were doing work for their law firm while on the public’s time, according to WSB-TV.

Acting Ethics Commission executive secretary Thomas Plank and staff attorney Yasha Heidari reportedly formed a law firm, Heidari & Plank LLC, this year even though they had full-time jobs with the state.

WSB reported that the investigation is not criminal. But still the computers the two men use were taken so the Georgia Bureau of Investigation could examine the hard drives to determine if the equipment was used for the private law practice.

According to the Heidari & Plank website, the firm specializes in civil litigation, immigration, regulatory, governmental and business law. The firm has three attorneys, including Heidari and Plank.

“We do not take every case, and we are selective about which cases we do take,” according to the firm’s web site. “We are hands-on with our cases, and our attorneys work intimately with our clients. Unlike other firms, we do not farm our cases to paralegals or support staff, glance and stamp our signature on a few documents, and send you a bill. When you call us, you will speak to an attorney or one will promptly return your call.”

Plant told WSB that he welcomed the investigation.