Recordings reveal Ellis’ dogged pursuit of campaign cash

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Digging Deep. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, in a story published last July, was the first to make public the vendor lists compiled for DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis that have become evidence in his ongoing corruption trial. The AJC has provided unmatched coverage of the Ellis case from the moment DeKalb authorities searched Ellis' home 19 months ago through the corruption trial.

In a secret recording created by an undercover employee, DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis could be ruthless in his pursuit of campaign money, making note of both contractors and employees who did and who did not help fund his re-election.

Jurors on Tuesday heard the hourlong recording, in which Ellis, who is on trial for bribery and extortion, tells his purchasing director, Kelvin Walton, about how he targeted those who wouldn’t play ball.

Walton, a key witness for prosecutors, wore a wire. It was an attempt to catch Ellis breaking the law by allegedly threatening to end companies’ contracts with the county unless they contributed to him.

Ellis is fighting accusations that he leveraged his power as the elected leader of DeKalb County to shake down contractors for political money. His corruption trial is the largest in metro Atlanta since former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell was convicted in 2006.

“For the person that … (doesn’t) return phone calls, and who’s non-responsive, and who tried to act like I’m asking something illegal because I’m asking for a campaign contribution, those are the people that we don’t need to do business with,” Ellis said in the recording from Oct. 25, 2012, when he was soliciting donations from a downtown Decatur business’ conference room.

The recordings also show that Ellis was aware of the fact that he couldn’t link political contributions to county business, and he worried someone could think he was doing so.

“Somebody will try to make it sound like somehow we’re doing something we shouldn’t be doing,” Ellis said. “Somebody’s not going to get that contract, and then they’re gonna start pointing fingers.”

That’s exactly what has happened in seven days of testimony so far, as four businesses have told a jury they felt pressured by Ellis to donate.

In one case, a company called Power and Energy Services stopped receiving work from DeKalb County after it refused to give. In another example, a co-owner of a company called National Property Institute believed he was about to lose his business with the county until he made a $2,500 contribution.

Walton turned on Ellis, his former boss, after prosecutors confronted him with a choice about his future: Either he could be indicted or become a government witness.

Walton had admitted lying to special grand jury about receiving free services from a tree-cutting company that contracted with the county, and he chose to work with DeKalb District Attorney Robert James to gather dirt on Ellis.

Since 2011, Walton testified that he and his staff — during their taxpayer-funded workday — have created lists of county contractors that Ellis used to make political solicitations. Walton updated the list after every biweekly meeting of the DeKalb County Commission so Ellis would know what vendors had recently won business from the county.

“When I first provided it to the CEO, he was very excited,” Walton testified. “He said, ‘Kelvin, this is great, this is exactly what I need, keep those lists coming. This is going to help save my job, this is going to help save your job, so keep those vendor lists coming.’”

Earlier Tuesday, in a phone call recorded by Walton, a contractor named Terry Merrell said a conversation with Ellis had “sent shivers up my spine” when Ellis asked for $25,000. Merrell is the chief financial officer of Kokomo, Ind.-based Merrell Bros., which had won a $4 million contract in 2012 to distribute wastewater over crops.

Walton had called Merrell to try to allay his concerns that Ellis had seemed to link his work to a campaign contribution.

“I was literally shaking when I got off the phone,” Merrell told Walton. “Then he said, ‘Do you want me to make a phone call?’ And I said, ‘No, I don’t want you to make a phone call,’”

Then Ellis assured him that he could help fix a problem with Merrell Bros.’ contract involving a local business partner.

“I can’t have any part in getting a contract that was influenced in any way, shape or form by anybody,” Merrell said. “I don’t even know if it’s legal. … We would love to work with DeKalb County, but I want to win it fair and square.”

Walton will return to court for more testimony Wednesday, including what promises to be a rigorous cross-examination from Ellis’ defense team.