Last week WSB-TV reported that profanity-laced text messages revealed an Atlanta city spokeswoman advising an Atlanta city hall official to be “as unhelpful as possible” in responding to a lawful open records request. Jenna Garland also told the official to “drag this out” as long as possible and to distribute the information “in the most confusing format available.”
That’s why, this week, state Attorney General Christopher Carr referred for criminal investigation those texts sent between former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s officials who conspired to delay the release of public information requested under the Georgia Open Records Act. (This is the first time that a criminal investigation has been launched in relation to that act.)
The request for the public records came last year in connection with a story which uncovered several City Council members — including Keisha Lance Bottoms (now the new mayor backed by Reed)– failing to fully pay their water bills.
The open records law states that “frustrating or attempting to frustrate the access to records by intentionally making records difficult to obtain or review” is illegal. Lawyers contacted by InsiderAdvantage say that a proven conspiracy to violate the law could result in jail time.
No wonder the attorney general’s office has referred the text messages between Garland and the other communications official to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for a criminal probe. And, insiders say, the big question is whether then-Mayor Reed had any involvement.
