The City of Atlanta has officially addressed rumors swirling about an alleged "raid" following the departure of Inspector General Shannon Manigault. In a statement published on the city's website, officials detailed the standard off-boarding procedures that were undertaken, which included revoking Manigault's access to city servers and disabling her city-issued work phone.
According to the city's statement, human resources personnel discovered that "some OIG staff were actively removing work files from Ms. Manigault's office." This discovery led to actions to secure these files. The city contends there was no raid, but rather a response to a breach in protocol. The statement describes how files ended up in unsecured boxes, breaking the chain of custody, and were subsequently secured and locked away, Atlanta officials said.
The response comes amid speculation and heightened concern over the handling of sensitive documents in high-profile city positions. "It is a standard HR practice to lock the office of a high-ranking city employee who has had access to sensitive personnel and financial information and abruptly departs the city," the statement read. The city emphasizes that such measures are taken to protect various stakeholder’s interests, including the City of Atlanta itself, the individual who has departed, and those who might have information contained within the office in question.
Locking the office, the city argues, prevents "unauthorized personnel do not gain access to information they should not have" and stops further removal of files, as had been happening when Manigault resigned. The need to maintain the integrity of information and adhere to standard operating procedures with regards to departing employees was highlighted in the statement, painting a picture of protocol over scandal in the recent actions undertaken by city officials. The City of Atlanta stated it will continue these practices consistently, including in the case of Ms. Manigault, the city’s news release explained.
