With Common Cause Georgia calling for his resignation, Atlanta City Councilman Michael Julian Bond publicly apologized Tuesday for violating the city’s ethics code by misusing taxpayers dollars.
“I will ask the public again for their forgiveness and will make another public declaration to them that I am going to recommit myself to public service,” Bond told reporters.
Bond said he’s living his “dream job” but understands “it is a privilege. And I will continue to do it as long as the people will allow me.”
Common Cause, a taxpayer watchdog group, is also asking Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard to pursue a criminal indictment for abuse of public tax dollars.
“This was an egregious enough act that we felt he needed to step down,” Common Cause executive director William Perry told the city council on Tuesday.
According to documents released by the city’s ethics office, Bond admitted using public tax dollars for a variety of personal trips, including to Washington for a family reunion and for business, as well as accepting thousands of dollars worth of tickets to events such as the annual DragonCon comic convention held in downtown Atlanta.
Bond also admitted using public funds to create DVDs and pins for a high school class reunion.
In a negotiated agreement with the city’s ethics board, Bond admitted guilt and agreed to pay $3,900 in fines and $11,320 in restitution.
A spokeswoman from Howard’s office said they are evaluating Common Cause’s request and the circumstances of the settlement.
Bond said Tuesday that he respects Common Cause, but doesn’t plan to resign.
The longtime councilman isn’t the first to have questionable personal expenses.
Last year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that found that District 4 Councilwoman Cleta Winslow used taxpayer dollars to pay a political ally $65,000 over five years to mow lawns in her district, a potential violation of the city’s ethics code and state gratuities clause. Winslow has maintained she did not benefit from the expenditures and used the funds to improve her community.
The ethics office later opened an investigation into those spending habits. Ethics officer Nina Hickson said the office hasn’t yet completed its inquiry.
Winslow was slapped with a $2,000 fine in 2013 by the ethics board after using city funds for campaign purposes, her second offense in recent years.
Bond said the experience underscores the need for the council to tighten up its records-keeping, and that he supports a proposal by District 9 Councilwoman Felicia Moore to make those records available to the public online.
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