Atlanta inspector general may step down if city council adopts task force recommendations

Shannon Manigault sits in the WABE studio.
Shannon Manigault is the City of Atlanta’s first-ever inspector general. (LaShawn Hudson/WABE)

The City of Atlanta’s first-ever inspector general says she’ll step down if the City of Atlanta adopts the recommendations outlined by a task force that was tasked with reviewing how her offices handle investigations.

“I’m not going to be the head of an office that cannot effectively perform its service for the public,” explained Atlanta Inspector General Shannon Manigault on Tuesday’s edition of “Closer Look.” Manigault returned to the program to respond to the task force’s claims and recommended changes for her office.

In September, the Atlanta city officials established the Temporary Task Force to examine the roles, procedures and operations of Manigault’s office, the Ethics Office, and the Governing Board of the Office of the Inspector General and the Ethics Office. Following the review, the task force was required to make recommendations that would allow the respective offices to maintain authority and accountability.

Manigault’s office is responsible for investigating allegations of corruption, abuse and fraud. She told show host Rose Scott that she has not had a one-on-one conversation with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens about the ongoing situation.  She says her office currently has 120 open investigations in different stages of review.

The Association of Inspectors General also wrote a letter to Mayor Dickens and the Atlanta City Council about its concerns about the task force recommendations.