Atlanta's Inspector General Shannon Manigault is involved in a legal dispute with city contractor and lobbyist Bernie Tokarz. Stephen Katz, Tokarz's attorney, has filed a lawsuit against Manigault over her office's investigation into his client. Katz alleges that the IG's office has failed to provide documents requested under open records law and overstepped its authority by probing into the legality of Tokarz's lobbying efforts—an issue Katz believes should be handled by the state ethics director. In a FOX 5 interview, Katz argued, "This is part and parcel of what's been going on with this inspector general. She keeps exceeding her authority on numerous things."
Katz alleges that the Inspector General obtained banking information for his client and for unaffiliated entities without notification or proper authority, as she reportedly lacks subpoena power. Despite these claims, the Atlanta City Council appeared to disregard the IG's findings by unanimously renewing Tokarz's $3 million security contract—a decision that came even after the state ethics commissioner dismissed an ethics complaint from the IG's office. "Her report has largely been ignored and discarded by the city because they renewed Mr. Tokarz's contract," Katz told FOX 5.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the open records lawsuit by Katz hinges on the accusation that Manigault's office did not comply with the October 29 request for documents, which listed twenty-two different types of records. The IG's office refuted these allegations, asserting that they responded in a timely manner and even invited further discussion with Katz, who they say did not follow up. The contested documents could shed light on the scope and conduct of the investigation into Cloverhurst Strategies, as well as the involvement of Council member Michael Julian Bond, who was cleared of wrongdoing by the IG.
In a related development, Atlanta's city employees, represented by labor unions, have expressed concerns over the Inspector General's investigations. Crystal Jeffery with AFSCME Local 1644 stated during a city council meeting that investigations have engendered a "culture of fear" among workers and called for clearer guidelines on interactions with unionized employees. Meanwhile, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens has openly criticized Manigault's assertions of misconduct as "political spectacle," signaling a widening rift between the mayor's office and the IG.
