TIMELINE: Atlanta City Hall Investigation

See pics of complete timeline really long timeline

If you want to get an idea of how corrupt Atlanta and the Mayors are/were look at the timeline of corruption under Mayor Kasim Reed, a childhood friend of Keshia Lance Bottoms current mayor. This place is a cesspool

ATLANTA — The ongoing investigation into corruption at Atlanta City Hall has taken many twists and turns since the first charges were filed. Here is a timeline of some of the most important events that have unfolded so far.

—Jan. 17, 2017: Well-known Atlanta construction company CEO Elvin R. "E.R." Mitchell Jr. was charged with conspiring to pay more than $1 million in bribes to unnamed individuals to help win city contracts. [READ MORE]

—Jan. 25, 2017: In the days after Mitchell was charged, Channel 2 Action News and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution learned of an apparent attempt to intimidate Mitchell. In September 2015, after Mitchell started talking to the feds, someone threw a brick through his living room window with an ominous message. Dead rats also were left on Mitchell's property. Channel 2 and the AJC later learned Shandarrick Barnes, a former city of Atlanta employee, was arrested in November 2016 in connection with the incident. Barnes had connections to both Mitchell and Mitzi Bickers, a campaign consultant who helped Kasim Reed win the mayor's race in 2009.Bickers would later serve as the city's director of human services from 2010 to 2013Barnes later pleaded guilty to federal charges of interfering with a federal witness. [READ MORE]

—Jan. 25, 2017: E. R. Mitchell pleads guilty, admitted to paying bribes totaling over $1 million over a period of years. [READ MORE]

Jan. 26, 2017: Then-Mayor Kasim Reed distances himself from former staffer, Mitzi Bickers, who had connections to the bribery scandal. On a city ethics document filed by Bickers, she described herself as directly reporting to Mayor Reed

—Reed maintained that was not true. Channel 2 Action newshad uncovered a link between an effort to silence E.R. Mitchell, who admitted paying the bribes, and Bickers, Reed's former Human Services director. [READ MORE]

—Feb. 1, 2017: The city announces it will release records pertaining to contracts at the center of the City Hall bribery scandal. The AJC and Channel 2 Action News sought contracts, payments, emails and other routine city documents pertaining to E.R. Mitchell, his associates, and their companies, and received a blanket denial of that information saying the ongoing federal investigation allowed them an exemption under Georgia's open records law. Legal experts told the AJC the city's stance violated state law. [READ MORE]

—Feb. 2, 2017: Through her divorce attorney, Marjorie Mitchell told Channel 2 Action News and the AJC that she's uncovered records showing her husband, E.R. Mitchell, misrepresented his wife's role in his companies and her experience in the construction industry on documents he filed with the city. Marjorie Mitchell said she had no idea her husband used her name to win contracts or to get certified as a female minority business owner for bonus points in the bidding process with multiple governments, including Fulton County and Jackson, Mississippi. [READ MORE]

—Feb. 8, 2017: Federal prosecutors charge Charles P. Richards Jr. with conspiracy to commit bribery in order to obtain city of Atlanta contracts. From 2010 to August 2015, Richards was alleged to have paid $185,000 in bribes in the belief that some of the money would be paid to unnamed city officials, prosecutors alleged. [READ MORE]

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/timeline-atlanta-city-hall-investigation/813644743/

Atlanta’s mayor is in the spotlight for her response to George Floyd protests and as potential Biden VP pick

Oh this is the reason she started a fight with police last night

By Seema Mehta,ATLANTA —

When Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms delivered an impassioned plea to quell the violence threatening her city, she spoke not just as an elected official.

She spoke as the direct descendant of slaves and as a mother of four: “When I saw the murder of George Floyd, I hurt like a mother would hurt.” Bottoms sought to soothe protesters’ pain over systemic racism and police brutality, while calling out the people who were setting police cruisers on fire and smashing the windows of the CNN Center.

“When I heard there were rumors about violent protests in Atlanta, I did what a mother would do. I called my son, and I said, ‘Where are you?’ I said, ‘I cannot protect you, and black boys shouldn’t be out today,’” Bottoms said at a May 29 news conference. “So you’re not gonna out-concern me and out-care about where we are in America. I wear this each and every day.

“When you burn down the city, you’re burning down our community. If you want change in America, go and register to vote,” her voice swelling. “Show up at the polls on June 9. Do it in November. That is the change we need in this country. You are disgracing our city…. Go home!”

https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2020-06-08/keisha-lance-bottoms-atlanta-mayor-biden-vice-president

Defining Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Keisha’s no Kasim: Inside Bottoms’s very different City Hall

Atlanta magazine providing cover for Lance Bottoms

City Hall is literally across the street from Calvin Smyre’s office near the Gold Dome, but on a brisk Tuesday in March, the state representative made the visit to see Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms by car. At 72, Smyre has artificial hips, which make walking even short distances painful. Over 45 years, the Democrat from Columbus has gone from being the youngest member of the General Assembly to its longest serving. Not coincidentally, he’s also a throwback to a time when politicians of both parties crossed the aisle to find common ground.

Although Democrats haven’t held a majority in the state House since 2004, Smyre hasn’t seen his influence diminish

When Nathan Deal fled the Democratic party in 1995 to become a Republican, one of the only state Democrats to not shun him was Smyre, who saved Deal from being gerrymandered out of his Congressional seat. As governor, Deal never forgot it. Amid the complex machinations of state politics, there is no one more connected, and more willing to pass on credit, than Calvin Smyre. And so, for every Atlanta mayor since Maynard Jackson, Smyre has made this short trip to give advice and offer up some wisdom. But until now, arguably none had ever needed his counsel more than the city’s 60th mayor.

Two weeks earlier, the state Senate had done what even a year ago would have seemed unthinkable: It agreed to a plan to wrest control of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport from the city. Although the bill still needed to navigate the state House, not to mention earn Governor Brian Kemp’s signature, the Senate vote constituted the most audacious attack on Atlanta’s identity since Sherman dropped a match on the place 134 years ago. After all, the airport—the busiest in the world—is more than just marketing for the city. It represents raw power, with billions of dollars of concessions contracts that have made their winners, like Mack Wilbourn, Dan Halpern, and the late Herman Russell, rich(er). And for Atlanta elected officials, grateful millionaires mean campaign contributions.

But the city, argued Burt Jones, the bill’s sponsor and a Republican state senator from Butts County, had ruined a good thing. A federal investigation into City Hall that began in 2015 and continues to this day had yielded (so far) five guilty pleas and thrown a spotlight on how the city doles out contracts, including those at the airport. That was just one investigation.

The Federal Aviation Administration was also launching an audit of the airport, presumably examining how and why Bottoms’s predecessor, Kasim Reed, used airport funds to pay for attorneys representing his administration in the ongoing federal investigation, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Confused? Jones didn’t seem to be. The airport, he declared from the state Senate podium, had become a “blight” upon the state

For an Atlanta mayor to lose control of the airport would be catastrophic. The Braves may have left town under Reed’s watch, but that’s a pittance compared to losing control of the airport. Ever since Maynard Jackson had guaranteed black-owned businesses a portion of lucrative construction and concessions contracts, the airport had also become a symbol of black political power. Which made unavoidable the optics of a bunch of white legislators from outside the city stepping in to lay claim to the treasure. “This was major,” Smyre says of the attempted takeover. “No question about it. When you put the top five things down, this is one and two and three and four of those.”….

https://www.atlantamagazine.com/great-reads/keishas-no-kasim-inside-bottomss-very-different-city-hall/

Investigation launched into hiring of Mayor Bottoms' campaign staff

After published reports said campaign staffers for Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms showed up on the City of Atlanta payroll before they were officially hired, officials tell 11Alive News an investigation has been launched

ATLANTA — An ongoing investigation is looking into whether Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ campaign staff was hired as city workers prior to her inauguration as the mayor in 2018. That information is according to Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore.

The investigation stems from published reports alleging six staffers from Bottoms’ campaign were paid by the city during December 2017, before the city had officially offered them jobs. Those reports also claim some of the staffers were given job titles in departments and positions in which they had little or no experience.

After the City Council announced they would request an investigation, Mayor Bottoms sent them a letter on March 22, 2019. In it, she states the investigation would be unlawful because it violates the city charter in two facets:

Hiring of an independent legal outside counsel for an investigation

Expands the power of the City Auditor and/or Ethics Officer

In her letter to the council, Mayor Bottoms says it is unlawful according to the City of Atlanta charter to hire an outside attorney because the City of Atlanta Attorney is the chief legal advisor of the city. The letter also says expanding the power of the City Auditor and/or Ethics Officer is not permissible according to the City of Atlanta Charter.

Council President Moore told 11Alive News the investigation has already been launched and is ongoing without the use of outside sources.

“The Auditor and Ethics Office already have the authority to initiate reviews and investigations they see fit,” explained Moore.

Moore went on to say the wording of the portion of the resolution regarding the use of an outside attorney was “not the best.” Despite that, she said the Auditor and Ethics Office began their investigation shortly after they asked for it on March 18.

The Ethics Office is an independent group that does not report to any city officials. They report directly to the Ethics Board.

Michael Smith, spokesperson for Mayor Bottoms’ office, said the hiring of campaign staff during the weeks between an election and an inauguration is standard operating procedure. Smith said it was the former Mayor’s staff that paid Bottoms’ staffers during that time. He points out that Bottoms would not have the ability to order they be placed on the City of Atlanta payroll because she was not mayor at that point.

The Atlanta City Council originally asked for the investigation to be completed in 60 days. Moore said she believes the City Auditors and Ethics Officer will try to work within that time frame, if possible.

https://www.11alive.com/mobile/article/news/investigation-launched-into-hiring-of-bottoms-campaign-staff/85-9cfbafe1-5c59-446b-bdad-d8f012c9c96a

Seriously if any city needs ICE to come in, it’s Atlanta, and Bottoms end the agreement with ICE. Yep another liberal kill the white people’s stance. Buckhead is one of the wealthiest areas of the city

The most contentious moment of the night came when Mayor Bottoms spoke about her decision last year to end the city jail's relationship with ICE

Buckhead neighbors grill Mayor Bottoms about crime

Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms hosted her first in a series of town halls Thursday night.

Buckhead neighbors grill Mayor Bottoms about crime

February 28, 2019

ATLANTA — Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms faced cheers and boos in Buckhead Thursday night.

An overflowing crowd packed the Atlanta History Center for the Mayor's first of three upcoming town halls. Bottoms was joined by Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields, along with nearly every department head. Crime was the hot topic of the night.

When we saw what was going on in this space, in our mind as a command staff, it was a failure," Shields told the crowd.

Last month, Buckhead residents - tired of the car break-ins, thefts and home burglaries - told 11Alive they don't feel safe in their own neighborhood.

"We don't want to feel hijacked in our own city," Amber Connor said. "We don't want to feel like we are constantly looking over our shoulder. That's no way to live."

MORE: Residents in Buckhead neighborhood concerned about crime

The 11Alive Investigations Team found out that the Buckhead area has had several beat redesigns since 2000 and Zone 2 - which covers the neighborhood - is significantly larger now than it was 18 years ago. According to the Buckhead Coalition, Buckhead's population increased by nearly 30 percent from 2000 to 2016.

The police chief admitted she is embarrassed by the recent uptick in violent crime in Buckhead.

"We struggled last year, with crime being up double digits. It was sickening," Shields said. "We have thrust every imaginable resource up here. It has made a difference."

Shields said the first two months of 2019 saw a drop in the crime rate by about 5 percent.

The most contentious moment of the night came when Mayor Bottoms spoke about her decision last year to end the city jail's relationship with ICE.

A large crowd booed, while one woman asking if Atlanta was now a "sanctuary city”

https://www.11alive.com/mobile/article/news/buckhead-neighbors-grill-mayor-bottoms-about-crime/85-73bcb28e-6b6a-489e-a123-005ff8c93103

A Business-Friendly Mayoral Candidate in Atlanta Is Pulling in Some Very Odd Contributions

On November 7, Atlantans will go to the polls to decide who will succeed Mayor Kasim Reed as the city’s leader.

The nonpartisan, 12-way race is unpredictable; conservative Mary Norwood is widely expected to make a December runoff, but who will face her is up in the air. The Bernie Sanders-backed progressive candidate and former state Sen. Vincent Fort is vying to be Norwood’s challenger alongside a number of city council alumni who are more allied with Reed’s pro-business politics.

One of those candidates, Keisha Lance Bottoms, has been endorsed by Reed and benefited in the home stretch from a gusher of corporate fundraising — much of it flowing in a way that allows it to get around the ordinary limits of giving.

Procurement corruption has cast a long shadow over the mayoral race. In September, the FBI raided the offices of a city vendor and the city’s top purchasing office pled guilty to accepting bribes in exchange for millions of dollars of city contracts. Earlier this month, Bottoms returned more than $25,000 in contributions from one of the city contractors at the center of the investigation.

The legal contribution limit for an individual to a mayoral candidate in the general election is $2,600. But a number of major contractors that do business with Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport — the world’s busiest airport and an entity the city oversees — used shell companies and other means to boost their donations to Bottoms into the tens of thousands. The concession contracts, to operate fast food restaurants and other franchises, are a multibillion-dollar opportunity for vendors.

Individuals associated with Miami-based Master ConcessionAir (previously known as World Wide Concessions) have given $23,525 to Bottoms’s campaign. Much of this giving was done through other entities. For instance, on Bottoms’s finance disclosures, you’ll see a $2,500 donation from the Florida-based Concessions Development Group. Lest you think this entity is unrelated to ConcessionAir, you can see that one of the people it’s registered under is Jose Alberni. Alberni lists himself as a managing director at ConcessionsAir.

Individuals involved with the company in the past previously came under investigation for “allegedly receiving $1.7 million from a Miami airport vendor to meet federal minority-business requirements while not actually opening a restaurant,” as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes, although no charges were ever filed in the case.

World Wide Concessions Chief Executive Peter Amaro Jr. originally appeared to give twice to Bottoms by changing his first name from Peter to Pedro for the second contribution, as well as adding a digit to his address. Remember that the legal contribution limit for the general election is $2,600, and Amaro gave $5,100. The donations were first flagged on Twitter by Nathaniel Horadam, a master’s student at Georgia Tech. In the amended finance report released Thursday, the second donation is amended to Patricia, his wife. Amaro’s company manages over two dozen franchises at the Atlanta airport, including a Starbucks and Chick-fil-A.

In Thursday’s disclosure, Carlos Aguilera, the company’s director of food and beverage operations, pitched in an additional $2,500 — but left out his employer information.

Master Concession Air/World Wide Concessions did not respond to a request for comment.

Another airport vendor, OTG Management, surpassed the $2,600 limit by giving directly as OTG Management and also as OTG Management EWR, which shares the exact same address. OTG Management has not at this time responded to a request for comment.

Bottoms is publicly thanking some of these donors. On Thursday, she took to Twitter to cite the support of Giovanni di Palma, the owner of Antico Foods — which has a presence at Atlanta’s new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Antico gave $2,600 to Bottoms’s campaign in September; di Palma himself gave $2,600 the same month. Lioni Latticini Mozzarella & Specialty Foods, which has, in the past, served as their cheese supplier, pitched in $2,600 as well.

In 2015, the Labor Department ordered Antico to pay nearly $300,000 in back wages after it withheld overtime from dozens of employees.

https://theintercept.com/2017/11/04/atlanta-mayor-election-keisha-lance-bottoms/

Atlanta Mayoral Runoff: Will Voters Ignore Corruption

I figured they stole the vote from Mary Norwood a white woman, she had 700 more votes than Lance Bottoms

By itself, Reed’s decision to back a successor is not necessarily a problem, but Bottoms raked in vastly more than her share of the total money candidates spent on the primary election. Reed has been accused of doing additional city contracts this year so contractors will give increased contributions to Bottoms.

The evidence shows that with Reed encouraging the contractors,Bottoms has received more than half of the entire contributions given to all of the candidates. At one gathering of contractors in August, $287,000 was raised and Bottoms received $186,554 of it

Then there is the case of Citizens for Better Transportation that raised $1.2 million in 2016, and the reporting suggested Reed has some influence over this organization. In October the organization claimed it had $500,000 yet a few weeks later it had zero on the books. Several mayoral candidates suspect this money found its way to Bottoms’ campaign. Ex-Mayor Shirley Franklin (2002-2010) characterized the money as a “slush fund” that is an “example of rampant, systematic corruption that is running through city government and the political process.” There is an implication that if Bottoms wins, she will have benefited from the corruption, and it will continue.

The non-partisan election results found Bottoms receiving 26.2 percent and Mary Norwood receiving 20.8 percent. Because no candidate managed 50 percent, the top two will face each other in a December 5 run-off election.

Mary Norwood is a white woman with her base of support in white northern parts of Atlanta; she has been on the City Council for a number of years, and by all accounts is a responsible official. In 2009 Kasim Reed defeated Mary Norwood by 749 votes, so close she could have demanded a recount but did not.

One scholar several decades ago did a random sample of Atlanta voters on a bond issue and found 10 percent of the voters did not live where the voter registration records said they lived. There was a quiet rumor that in 2009 Norwood really had won

Anyone who follows the elections in Atlanta and reads the newspaper understands that race is a factor to influence voters. In 2009 an inspection of voting at the precinct level suggests white precincts supported Norwood and African-American precincts supported Reed; however, it appeared these tendencies were stronger among the African-American precincts. In other words, African-American voters strongly chose the African-American candidate. Even in this 2017 primary election, there were signs in some precincts that said: “Vote the Black slate.” One pundit observed if there is a racial factor in the election, it is African-American voters basing their decision on race rather than on the issues.

https://www.newsmax.com/t/newsmax/article/825780?section=JohnHavick&keywords=atlanta-mayor-runoff-kasim-deed&year=2017&month=11&date=13&id=825780&oref=duckduckgo.com

‘Not Shocked’: Keisha Lance Bottoms Accused of Betraying the City That Backed Her Following Her Joe Biden Endorsement

Posted byBy Lauren Floyd July 2, 2019 CommentsComments

Not everyone is happy with Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms after she endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden instead of one of two Black Democrats vying for the presidency.

Many of the rumblings came via Twitter where Atlanta wrestler King Jeter posted on Sunday that Bottoms betrayed the city that backed her.

“The ATL supported #KeishaLanceBottoms and she betrayed them and supports Bigot Biden. Lol. Not shocked either. She just another black skinned politician without a actual soul. Her soul power sitting in the back of the bus for $$$”

Another Twitter user responded similarly to Bottoms’ endorsement of Biden in a post on Friday.

“She endorses him, the city of Atlanta does NOT,” Shawnta L.C. said.

South Carolina state Rep. John King, a Morehouse College graduate, told Atlanta Black Star on Monday that he is particularly interested in what happens in Atlanta because he has many friends and family here.

“Beyond that, the city of Atlanta has special significance as a center of African-American history and culture,” King said in an emailed statement. “So the mayor of Atlanta has a leadership role in the black community beyond the city itself.

King, who’s endorsing Sen. Cory Booker, said it’s critical Black leaders support Booker or Sen. Kamala Harris, who are the only Black Democratic candidates running so far.

“Black voters elected Barack Obama in 2008, Black voters elected Hillary Clinton in 2016, and Black voters will elect our nominee in 2020,” King said.

King also weighed in on the controversy on Twitter.

“We cannot campaign by asking for black votes, only to abandon black candidates,” King said.

https://atlantablackstar.com/2019/07/02/keisha-lance-bottoms-called-to-task-for-not-supporting-a-black-presidential-candidate/

After a hard-fought battle, Keisha Lance Bottoms’ was sworn in as Atlanta’s 60th mayor Tuesday.

Punctuated with racial polarity and allegations of corruption, according to an Associated Press report,

the December runoff ended with candidate Mary Norwood trailing behind Bottoms by less than 1 percent of the vote

Check out the above slideshow to see Keisha Lance Bottoms’ journey through the voting process to becoming Atlanta’s 60th mayor.

https://www.wabe.org/keisha-lance-bottoms-journey-mayorhood/

Mayor Bottoms Vetoes City Council Investigation Into Her Campaign Hires

OK I think I’ve done enough diggs on Lance Bottoms to prove that she’s a creature of the swamp, similar to Abrams but a bit better looking

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms who is accused of violating the city charter is now accusing the Atlanta City Council of violating the city charter by investigating her alleged violations.

In November, Bottoms was accused of violating the city charter - Atlanta's governing document - by hiring former Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall as a $137,000-a-year senior policy adviser, according to records obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution through the Georgia Open Records Act.

Now Mayor Bottoms has vetoed a City Council investigation into her use of city funds to pay her campaign staff salaries for jobs that do not exist.

In an article dated March 17, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that six of Bottoms' top campaign members were issued payments in December 2017 for jobs that didn't exist.

The former campaign staffers were given job titles based on desired salaries, not on job qualifications.

The AJC found that Bottoms' former campaign manager Marva Lewis was paid out of airport funds even though she didn't work at Atlanta's Hartsfield Airport. Using airport funds to pay for non-airport expenditures is a violation of FAA regulations.

According to the AJC, Bottoms sent a letter to the City Council that vetoed a council resolution requesting an investigation into how top members of her campaign staff were placed on the city payroll

In her letter, Bottoms accused the City Council of violating the city charter because it allowed the city auditor and ethics officer to hire an outside law firm to assist in their investigation.

According to the AJC, the city auditor and ethics officer can launch their own investigations independent of the mayor and the City Council.

In a letter obtained by the AJC, the City Auditor Amanda Noble said she and the ethics officer planned to move forward with their investigations without outside legal assistance.

"To address the Mayor's concern, we will not seek outside legal advice or draw conclusions regarding the legality of the transactions," Noble wrote. "If so desired, the City Council can follow its established process to hire outside counsel to review our findings."

Mayor Bottoms, who was unaware of Nobles' letter, wrote late Tuesday, "At this hour, it is evident the Council has no desire to rectify the violations."

Bottoms sent another letter to the council on Friday stating the council's resolution was invalid and that any findings would be invalid because the council's investigation into her alleged wrongdoing was unlawful.

http://sandrarose.com/2019/04/mayor-bottoms-vetoes-city-council-investigation-into-her-campaign-hires/

==Recount Likely in Atlanta's Too-Close-to-Call Mayor's Race

With most precincts reporting, Keisha Lance Bottoms held a narrow lead over Mary Norwood on Tuesday in the race for Atlanta mayor==

CAROLINE COURNOYER | DECEMBER 6, 2017

Yep Bottoms stole the vote

Bottoms has said questioning whether her administration would be an extension of Reed's is sexist and "an affront to every woman like my mother who raises girls to be strong women."

But Norwood cited a moment when Bottoms said the only difference between her and Reed was that she could smile when she cut you.

For Norwood, the challenge was putting distance between herself and the Republican Party.

In the waning days of the campaign, ads by the Democrat Party of Georgia said electing Norwood would be the equivalent to handing the city over to President Donald Trump.

Norwood was also recorded telling a group of young Republicans in Buckhead that the reason she lost a runoff election to Reed in 2009 was partly due to voter fraud.

Norwood has identified herself as a "progressive independent." She has repeatedly said that she voted for former President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

At Sunday's debate, she defended the allegations she made about voter manipulation, saying she had the names of people who were "coerced" to voting in jurisdictions in which they didn't live.

In some cases, the Republican label was too much for voters to overcome. Casting his ballot at Oakland Missionary Baptist Church, Edward Barnes voted against Mary Norwood.

"I definitely wasn't voting for a Republican, which I know Norwood is," he said.

Some of the most sought after group of voters were the progressives who cast ballots for former State Sen. Vincent Fort and former City Council President Cathy Woolard in the general election.

Fort declined to endorse anyone, but called Norwood a viable option.

After questioning both candidates at a forum a week before the election, Woolard endorsed Norwood.

At least one of Woolard's supporters followed her lead.

Josh Jones, 25, a yoga teacher, said he voted for Norwood after Woolard backed her.

He said corruption in city hall was a big issue for him.

"People want somebody they can trust and who can keep Atlanta growing, because it's booming," he said. "Housing especially is a big deal."

Hillary Bolle, a writer who lives in Midtown, reluctantly cast her vote for Norwood

"I wasn't thrilled with either candidate," said Bolle, who voted for Mitchell in November.

"There's a lot about Keisha Lance Bottoms that makes me nervous with the corruption in city hall and the fact she didn't pay her water bill," said Bolle.

Bolle said it "gave her pause" to vote for a white candidate in a diverse city that has had black leadership for so long, but she didn't feel Bottoms was an ethical candidate.

https://www.governing.com/topics/politics/tns-norwood-bottoms-atlanta-recount.html