Fulton hires ex-prosecutor to probe motive for firing
Fulton County has hired a former federal prosecutor to determine whether political pressure squelched an internal inquiry into possible financial misconduct.
Police are investigating charges that four county workers diverted $183,000 in public funds to benefit themselves and their private event-planning business. Last month, attorneys filed a $10 million claim on behalf of two county employees who allege they lost their jobs for refusing to halt an internal investigation of the alleged misconduct.
Former U.S. Attorney Richard H. Deane Jr. will lead the county's investigation into its handling of that internal inquiry, Commissioner Robb Pitts said Tuesday.
“Taking it outside was the proper thing to do,” Pitts said, signaling “we’re being fair, open, transparent and we want to get to the bottom of this.”
Deane served as U.S. attorney in Atlanta from 1998 until 2002, when he resigned to join the law firm of Jones Day, where he specializes in criminal defense work.
Deane did not return telephone calls seeking comment. It was unclear Tuesday whether his inquiry would overlap with the police investigation.
Attorneys for Deputy County Manager Gwendolyn Warren allege she was fired in July after alerting County Manager Zachary Williams to evidence of “massive theft” by workers in the county’s Human Services Department. Investigator Maria Colon was demoted a few weeks later with a $45,000 pay cut, they said.
Attorney A. Lee Parks Jr. alleged Williams told his clients to put their investigation on hold until after next month’s election because “it could get too political.” Warren said Williams told her “certain commissioners want you gone today” when he fired her.
Parks said Williams noted that Cheryl Estes, one of the workers under investigation, had close ties to Commissioner Nancy Boxill and was planning a trip with her to South America.
Williams denies making those statements and contends the investigation had nothing to do with the personnel actions involving Warren and Colon.
Boxill and Estes were among five county employees who flew to Rio de Janeiro for a late March conference sponsored by the United Nations. Williams said in a letter to a local taxpayer’s group that the county’s net cost for the trip was $2,700.
News of Deane’s investigation came as Republican candidates for the county commission scheduled a 10 a.m. news conference to call for a federal probe of the alleged fraud by county workers.
