Former Fulton County Commissioner Bill Edwards has denied breaking any state laws in connection with an $80,000 discrepancy in his campaign reports – but has once again failed to provide documentation that would prove it.
The Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission launched an investigation of Edwards in July, citing an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report that uncovered problems with his campaign disclosures. The commission cited several possible violations of state law.
In a formal response filed Tuesday, Edwards denied he has violated any law. But he submitted no bank records or other documents to explain the discrepancy in his campaign records.
In March, an investigation by the AJC, Channel 2 Action News and The Georgia News Lab found Edwards could not account for nearly $80,000 in campaign cash. After weeks of promising to produce an audit that would explain the problem, Edwards told the news organizations it was the result of a simple mistake: his campaign staff inadvertently carried over the wrong numbers from one report to another in 2008.
But Edwards has refused to provide the news organizations with a copy of the audit or other documents to support his claim. Now he has failed to produce them in response to the State Ethics Board investigation.
About the Author
