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President denies ex-Atlanta official Mitzi Bickers' clemency request

By FOX 5 Atlanta Digital Team
FOX 5 Atlanta
Atlanta
Published July 28, 2026 7:55 PM EDT
Published July 28, 2026 7:55 PM EDT
article

Mitzi Bickers is a former city official who worked under during the Kasim Reed administration. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

The Brief

    • Mitzi Bickers, the former City of Atlanta Director of Human Services under former Mayor Kasim Reed, was denied clemency on July 10.
    • She was convicted of money laundering, conspiracy to commit bribery, and filing a false tax return, and several counts of wire fraud as part of a federal corruption investigation at Atlanta City Hall under the Reed administration.
    • In 2024, Bickers wire fraud convictions were dropped, leading to her resentencing of 12 years in prison in 2025.

ATLANTA - President Donald Trump denied the clemency request for former Atlanta city official Mitzi Bickers on July 10. 

The backstory:

Bickers served as the City of Atlanta's Director of Human Services under former Mayor Kasim Reed. She eventually became one of nearly a dozen people convicted in a sweeping federal probe into corruption during the Reed administration.

The investigation revealed that Bickers accepted roughly $3 million in bribes in exchange for helping contractors secure about $17 million in city work, including bridge repairs, snow removal, and sidewalk projects. Following these discoveries, Bickers was indicted in 2018 and became the first individual in the corruption probe to stand trial.

In 2022, a jury found her guilty of nine out of 12 charges against her, rejecting three counts related to bribery and tampering with an informant. She was ultimately convicted on three counts of money laundering, one count of conspiracy to commit bribery, one count of filing a false tax return, and several counts of wire fraud. Following this conviction, she was ordered to pay $2.9 million in restitution and received a 14-year prison term. She received the longest term 

In August 2024, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld her core convictions but dropped wire fraud counts. This change came after prosecutors moved to dismiss the wire fraud charges, which were once central to the case, following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that narrowed the scope of federal wire fraud laws.

Since the wire fraud counts were dropped, the case was sent back to district court for resentencing. Last year, a federal judge reduced Bickers' sentence to 12 years in prison for her remaining convictions.

Timeline:

Here's is a look at the timeline of legal troubles:

2009–2013

Bickers allegedly begins accepting bribes to steer city contracts.

  • Serves as Director of Human Services for the City of Atlanta from Feb 2010 to May 2013.

2014–2015

  • Accused of attempting to influence public contracts in Jackson, Mississippi, by offering campaign assistance and perks to officials (unsuccessful).

March 2018

  • Initial federal indictment unsealed: Bickers charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, money laundering, wire fraud, and tax fraud in relation to Atlanta city contracts.

August 2018

  • Superseding indictment adds charges related to attempted bribery in Jackson, Mississippi.

April 2021

  • Trial begins in federal court.
  • Key contractors Elvin Mitchell Jr. and Charles Richards Jr. testify they paid Bickers more than $2 million in bribes to secure $17 million in city contracts.
  • Prosecutors present evidence of luxury purchases with the alleged bribe money, including jet skis, a lake house, and international travel.

March 23, 2022

  • Convicted on nine of 12 counts, including bribery conspiracy, money laundering, wire fraud, and filing false tax returns.

September 8, 2022

  • Sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.
  • Ordered to pay nearly $3 million in restitution and serve three years of supervised release after prison.

June 2023

  • Federal prosecutors request dismissal of 4 wire fraud counts after new Supreme Court precedent.
  • Prosecutors also request a resentencing, arguing those counts should not stand.
  • Bickers continues to appeal her convictions and sentence in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.

June 2025

  • Bickers' prison sentence was reduced by two years after four wire fraud convictions were vacated.

July 2026

  • President Donald Trump denies Bickers' clemency request. 

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The Source: The information in this story comes from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Pardon Attorney and previous FOX 5 Atlanta reports. 

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