$11.3M verdict awarded to DeKalb political consultant

A jury has awarded $11.3 million to a metro Atlanta political consultant who accused two businessmen of ruining his reputation by linking him to DeKalb County corruption.

Kevin Ross says the verdict is "vindication," but it's only a partial victory.

Ross pursued his lawsuit against defendants who didn’t hire lawyers or show up to the trial, allowing him to win his case by default. He dropped his case against defendants who lawyered up, and he says he plans to refile his lawsuit against them.

It’s also unclear how much of the verdict he’ll be able to collect.