Former Atlanta mayor may have violated campaign laws

ATLANTA — Former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed appears to be under federal investigation for allegedly using campaign funds to make personal purchases of jewelry, resort travel, lingerie and furniture, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has found after comparing details disclosed in a recent court ruling with the former mayor’s campaign disclosure reports.

The ruling shows prosecutors are trying to compel grand jury testimony from the attorney for a local politician’s campaign who helped produce the campaign’s financial disclosures. That person seems to be Jeremy Berry, who worked as Reed’s campaign attorney before taking the job as Atlanta’s city attorney in 2017.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

The court document doesn’t name Reed or Berry, but The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has matched — to the penny — one of the questionable purchases listed in the ruling to an expense on Reed’s 2017 campaign finance report.

Attorney Scott Grubman confirmed Tuesday that Berry was questioned by federal authorities.

TRENDING STORIES:

• New Georgia laws going into effect on July 1
• Cobb father, 17-year-old daughter killed in wrong-way driver crash
• Grand jury declines to indict Georgia officer who killed Black driver

“Mr. Berry received a subpoena to testify as part of the government’s ongoing investigation,” Grubman said in a statement. “Importantly, Mr. Berry has been assured numerous times, including as recently as [Tuesday] morning, by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, that he is not a subject of the investigation, but is simply a witness.”

Reed, who last month launched a historic new mayoral campaign for a third term, did not respond to a list of questions submitted by the AJC. But in an interview last month with Channel 2 Action News, Reed insinuated that he has been cleared of any wrongdoing.

Click here to read the full investigation from our partners at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

[RELATED: Mayor again? Kasim Reed talks City Hall corruption, crime, another run to lead Atlanta]

Watch our interview with the former mayor below:

Mayor again? Kasim Reed talks City Hall corruption, crime, another run to lead Atlanta Former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed is considering a run to get himself back into the office.

©2021 Cox Media Group