Subpoena Issued For Former Mayor Kasim Reed’s Spending Records
Two subpoenas from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia seek spending records for Kasim Reed, his brother, Tracy Reed, and other staff members.
David Goldman / Associated Press
Federal prosecutors have turned their attention to Atlanta’s former Mayor Kasim Reed.
Two subpoenas from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia seek spending records for Reed, his brother, Tracy Reed, and other staff members. That includes Katrina Taylor-Parks, who is current Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ deputy chief of staff, and Mitzi Bickers, the former city human services director who is already facing charges of taking more than $2 million in bribes.
One subpoena also asks for all records related to Eloisa Klementich, who is the President and CEO of Invest Atlanta.
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Atlanta has been investigating corruption at City Hall for more than a year. Now, they want to see how Reed and others used their city purchasing cards.
WABE legal analyst Page Pate said it’s possible the bribery case influenced the issuance of subpoenas. He said someone involved with the bribery case could have tipped the hand of investigators, which in turn led to the subpoenas.
“That’s not that uncommon,” Pate said. “But that doesn’t mean that the two potential criminal activities are related.”
Reed hasn’t commented on the demand for his spending records, and he hasn’t been named in the bribery case.
But this latest investigation into activity on his watch could hurt both his legacy and political future down the line.
William Boone, who teaches political science at Clark Atlanta University, said this latest investigation could mean trouble for Reed’s future.
“If this probe shows that Reed had anything to do with it, even he knew about it but was not necessarily directly involved, I think it would taint his attempt to go further in politics,” Boone said. “There’s no doubt about it.”
Boone said the former mayor’s best bet is to cooperate and be transparent with the public. Reed said repeatedly, while still in office, he has higher political ambitions.
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