Emails on Gwinnett leasing deal

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained email exchanges between former state employee Thad Jackson, the state’s point man in soliciting and analyzing bids for a lucrative contract, and real estate broker Steve Tedder, the man hired to represent a Gwinnett County developer bidding on the contract.

Jackson and Tedder were fraternity brothers at Vanderbilt University nearly 20 years ago and have remained friends. The emails establish the relationship between the two and show how they shared confidential information about competing bids.

Using the data, Tedder created a comparison spreadsheet for Jackson that was instrumental in the state’s decision to award the contract to Tedder’s client. (That decision was later rescinded after a lawsuit was filed). The AJC redacted from the emails family members’ names, email addresses and telephone and fax machine numbers.