Atlanta

Mayoral candidate says culture of corruption exists in Atlanta City Hall

ATLANTA — One of the leading candidates for Atlanta mayor says the guilty plea by the city's former procurement boss is evidence of a culture of corruption in City Hall.

Another candidate told Channel 2 investigative reporter Richard Belcher you can't put too much trust in anyone.

Adam Smith pleaded guilty to accepting more than $30,000 in payoffs over two years.

But he handled billions of dollars in city purchases for 13 years.

The 53-year-old Smith did his best to avoid Channel 2's cameras at the federal courthouse Tuesday, racing to a car just a few feet from the back door, then speeding off without comment.


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But what happened inside that courtroom reverberated across town to City Hall and right into the mayoral election, which is just 48 days away.

Keisha Lance Bottoms said Smith had a stellar reputation in and out of City Hall. But in the end, he cheated the system.

“I think it tells us that we have to do a complete overhaul and audit of our procurement system,” Bottoms told Belcher. “I think it just goes to show that you can't ever put too much confidence in any one person. There has to be a process in place to make sure there are safeguards against people who may do bad things.”

Mary Norwood, who's leading in all the polls, told Belcher she doesn't know where this is going to end.

"We may have the FBI and DOJ (Department of Justice) at City Hall. If I take over as the next
mayor, they're not going to be in City Hall," Norwood said.

Ceasar Mitchell said Smith's guilty plea bolsters his call for a moratorium on renewing city contracts that don't expire until next year.

“We've got to make sure that we end what looks like a culture of corruption,” Mitchell said. “I don't think it's necessary for us to move in that direction and try to get those contracts passed when we have this investigation going on.”

John Eaves said the Smith case is a symptom of a larger issue in city government.

“Do you think other people will fall?” Belcher asked Eaves.

“Without question. I think this is just the beginning. This is the tip of the iceberg,” Eaves said.

U.S. Attorney John Horn told reporters that it's hard to say whether we're at the beginning, end or middle of the case. But he said repeatedly that his office is actively pursuing leads.