Mayor Kasim Reed's employee bonuses totaled more than $740,000

ATLANTA - It was the story our FOX 5 I-Team broke and it ignited a firestorm at Atlanta city hall.

We found Mayor Kasim Reed handed out more than $518,000 in bonuses to a select group of employees as he headed out the door.

Now, we've learned the Mayor’s employee bonus total is more than $200,000 dollars greater than we were originally told because the city added in money to cover taxes.

But there is more.  Based on a list of bonuses, prize winnings, and taxes that the Mayor’s press office gave us, at least ten council members gave bonuses to at least seventeen employees as well.

The total given to employees from the council and Mayor $811,287.

Based on sources who identified the council staff for me, more than $740,000 of that total went to a select number of Mayor Reed's staff. 

Mayor Reed has said that the money was earned by hard working employees who helped make his administration successful.

An outside attorney, hired by the city, is studying whether the bonuses were legal.