Grand Jury subpoenas records of Mayor Kasim Reed and his staff

ATLANTA - A major development in the ongoing Atlanta bribery investigation has shaken the very foundation of City Hall.

Through the Open Records Act, the FOX 5 I-Team obtained a copy of a federal grand jury subpoena. We found the U.S. Attorney's office has subpoenaed eight years’ worth of travel and purchase card records for every single employee who worked in the Mayor’s Office for Kasim Reed.

Former DeKalb County District Attorney and one-time federal prosecutor, Jeff Brickman, says the latest subpoena in the ongoing Atlanta bribery case sends a stunning message from the US Attorney to former Mayor Kasim Reed.

“We want everything that you have done, what you've spent, where you've gone since the day you raised your hand and took the oath of office,” says Brickman.

For months the FOX 5 I-Team has been reporting on expensive trips, including luxury hotels and high-dollar meals, taken by Mayor Kasim Reed and his staff. Mayor Reed has reimbursed the city for some of his purchase card expenses. We've also focused on the frequent and often poorly documented worldwide luxury travel of his chief of staff, Candace Byrd.  Including $2450 bill she put on her purchase card for a Harvard Business course.

An earlier subpoena asked for the purchase card records of Mayor Kasim Reed and his brother, Tracy Reed, who once worked for the city. But, this subpoena is different; it asks for the purchase card records of everyone who worked for Mayor Reed from 2010 through 2017.

“This doesn't appear to be an investigation that is close to over. I don't think it will be done for some time,” said Brickman.

The latest subpoena asks for "daily calendar information,” "travel and travel justification records," and "Purchasing Card" expenses and records for all employees or members of the "Office of the Mayor" since 2010. The request includes his executive protection team.

“If there were a series of transactions or transactions that in and of themselves were disturbing or improper, sure, you can be prosecuted for it, I've seen it happen,” said Brickman.

Atlanta city council member Howard Shook was stunned.

“It's very negative. It's like this cloud continuing to rain on this building,” said Shook.  

Shook was surprised by the sheer volume of records the U.S. Attorney requested. He says city hall employees are depressed and it is starting to have a negative impact on the day to day running of the city.

“Everybody in that building is kind of stuck. We're not writing a lot of forward-thinking legislation right now. Everyone is reacting, reacting to the latest headline,” said Shook.

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottom’s spokesperson pointed us to new legislation that was in the works prior to the latest subpoena.  Mayor Bottoms wants to tighten up rules on the use of city purchasing cards.