Interim DeKalb County CEO Lee May called a press conference Wednesday to defend his handling of a corruption investigation, as well as his support for a taxpayer-funded incentive package that convinced Atlanta United to build soccer facilities in the area.
May hired special investigators to look into possible corruption in county government in March.
Last week, those investigators wrote a letter to May saying DeKalb’s government is “rotten to the core.” They alleged that county employees accepted bribes, committed theft and misused public funds, but the letter didn’t provide details.
May criticized the letter for being vague and has told the investigators — former Georgia Attorney General Mike Bowers and Richard Hyde — to complete their report by Aug. 26. He has said no further funding would be provided after that date. The investigators and their team had charged the county $673,504 through June.
“To call DeKalb County ‘rotten to the core’ for me was a major problem, and I didn’t believe it was appropriate to have language like that produced in an investigative update that didn’t have any facts or specific things laid out,” May said. “We expect the final report to be factual, to be professional, and to make sure that it’s backed up with specifics.”
But May said he doesn’t regret hiring the outside investigators.
“We want to protect the integrity of our county operations and county government,” May said. “I still think that (special investigation) was the right thing to do. I’m not changing from that posture, but we have to move forward.”
Commissioner Nancy Jester said after May’s comments that the investigations should be allowed to continue. She agreed with the investigators’ assessment that corruption is widespread in DeKalb government, and she said bad behavior should be exposed.
“We need to get to the root of it, and we need to be funding this effort,” she said.
Commissioner Jeff Rader said he’s not second-guessing the investigators’ assertion that corruption permeates the county government.
“The taxpayers of DeKalb County have paid him a lot of money to come to that conclusion, and I can’t believe he’d take that stance unless he had something to back it up,” Rader said. “The language itself was strident, and it worries me because if it’s truly justified, that’s a big problem.”
Bowers didn’t immediately return an email seeking comment Thursday.
As for the soccer deal, May apologized that residents weren’t allowed to speak during a public meeting before last week’s 4-3 vote by the DeKalb Commission to approve the incentive package for Atlanta United.
But he said $12 million in county incentives were needed so that Atlanta United would locate its $35 million soccer complex — with a 3,500-seat stadium, three practice fields and a team headquarters — near Interstate 285 and Memorial Drive. The incentives include $7 million for the county to use 6,000 square feet of office space in the stadium, $5 million for land clearing and tax-free use of the county’s land.
“I have a real problem with those people who would say that they’re not in support of putting financial incentives for a corridor that’s in need of revitalization,” May said. “This deal is done, and it’s a good deal for DeKalb County.”
Tuesday, one week after the agreement was approved, several residents said they believed the deal was a waste of money during a public comment period of the DeKalb Commission’s meeting.
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