Eaves seeks council seat 20 years after bribery conviction

The last time Atlanta voters saw Reginald Eaves he was leaving office in disgrace after being convicted on federal corruption charges.

Two decades later the former county commissioner and Atlanta public safety director is planning what would be a Lazurus-like comeback. He’s hoping southwest Atlanta residents are ready to elect him to the District 11 City Council seat Jim Maddox is retiring from after 32 years.

Eaves said voters won’t hold his rather checkered past against him.

“I paid the price,” Eaves said. “I have lived in this district. I always worked for the community, I know what it needs.”

Eaves, 74, easily assumes the position of frontrunner among the packed field of nine on name recognition alone. His potential return to Atlanta politics emerged last week as the biggest story among the nine contested council races. Another six seats have unchallenged incumbents.

Last week during a 45-minute meeting at the Beautiful restaurant on Cascade Road every third person through the door greeted Eaves fondly.

“He was easily the second most popular figure in the city during Maynard Jackson’s administration and he wasn’t even elected,” Bob Holmes, a former state representative who lives in the district. “People still know him.”

Eaves said he’s regained the trust and faith of the community — if he ever lost it. He still claims he was wrongly accused and convicted in 1988 of trading his votes for cash to an FBI agent posing as a developer. Eaves maintains he got swept up into a federal conspiracy targeting black political figures.

Eaves was defiant until the end and appealed to every court he could. He eventually served less than two years of a six-year sentence.

“I did not do anything wrong,” Eaves said.

Several district residents interviewed last week all said they knew of Eaves, remember both his past issues and service and would give him a second chance. Beyond the corruption conviction, Eaves lost his job as city public safety director because of a cheating scandal on promotion exams.

“You should give people a chance for a fresh start and see what happens,“ said Jewell Grubbs, 53.

Eaves, though, faces another, more challenging question: If residents don’t hold his past against him, how do they view his age?

He’s been out of the political spotlight for an entire generation. At 74, he’s the same age as Maddox, who is retiring as the council’s oldest member and often draws complaints for sleeping during meetings.

Eaves fits neatly into the group of civil rights era leaders who have sometimes been pushed aside when they found newer generations less inclined to follow them.

Barney Sims, a longtime activist in southwest Atlanta, said he didn’t run because at 62 he considered himself too old. Sims said before Maddox’s sudden retirement on the first day of qualifying, folks were already saying it was time to hand over leadership to younger generation.

“You need a new generation of leadership,” Sims said. “Mr. Eaves’ age will certainly be a liability.”

Charles Bryant, who lives in the King Forrest area, is Eaves’ contemporary at 78 years of age. Still, he said District 11 needs new leadership.

“At his age, he needs to stay retired,” Bryant said. “We need a much younger person than Eaves.”

Eaves counters that he’s selling experience, not age. He contends he’ll be able to command respect immediately and get results on the council. “I may be one of 15 but I’ll have a lot of influence,” Eaves said.

Still, Eaves has several factors that favor his comeback. The district has a large contingent of elderly voters to whom Eaves will be a household name. The crowded field will make his name familiarity with voters all the more important.

And, Maddox’s sudden retirement has left little time for any of the nine hopefuls to raise enough cash to get name identification.