A spokesman for Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said Friday in a statement that allegations of an inappropriate relationship between the city’s new chief procurement officer and his executive assistant have not been substantiated and were made anonymously.
The statement comes a day after The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a story about an internal investigation into Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. David L. Wilson II and his executive assistant Nicole R. Goode.
“Both Lt. Col. David Wilson and Nicole Goode have vehemently denied any involvement in a romantic relationship,” the statement said. “Other than anonymous allegations there are no facts to prove otherwise.”
The months-long investigation into the relationship remains ongoing. City officials declined to say why it had yet to conclude.
A sexual relationship, consensual or not, between a supervisor and subordinate would be considered sexual harassment under the city’s code.
Wilson was named the city's chief procurement officer in June 2018 and was tasked with reforming a department that oversees hundreds of millions of dollars in city contract awards is a focus of the long-running federal investigation into City Hall corruption.
The department’s previous chief, Adam Smith, was sentenced to a 27-month prison sentence after pleading guilty in January 2018 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
The city confirmed the current internal review in responses to records requests about Wilson and Goode, who operates a sexually-oriented side business. The city’s law department said that the records were exempt from disclosure because they involved an ongoing investigation.
Goode told the AJC that purpose of her business was to rebuild relationships and enhance the spirituality and sacredness of sexuality.
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