Former watershed commissioner subpoenaed in Atlanta City Hall investigation

ATLANTA — The U.S. Attorney’s Office has issued a subpoena for records about former Atlanta Watershed Commissioner Jo Ann Macrina’s travel expenses during her last five months on the job.

Macrina was abruptly fired by then-Mayor Kasim Reed in May 2016 because of a number of management missteps and questionable international travel, sources told Channel 2 Action News at the time.

[SPECIAL SECTION: Atlanta City Hall Investigation]

Macrina came to the city of Atlanta from DeKalb County, where she was deputy director of the county watershed management.

The subpoena, dated Wednesday, demands the city turn over Macrina’s travel request and travel expense records for her final four months on the job plus, records where Macrina asked for “permission to perform outside employment.”

“The subpoena itself is incredibly narrow,” said Jessica Cino with Georgia State University’s College of Law. “There’s something they uncovered that led them to have that narrow of a subpoena.”

[TIMELINE: Atlanta City Hall Investigation]

While the subpoena didn’t give specifics, Channel 2 investigative reporter Aaron Diamant did a quick Google search and found Macrina listed as a speaker at the April 2016 global water summit in Abu Dhabi.

“They’re going to be looking at flights. They’re going to be looking at hotels. They’re going to be looking at who paid for that. They’re going to be looking perhaps if she received an honorarium or any kind of payment for going. That’s probably what they’re trying to identify here,” Cino said.

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Macrina’s name first showed up in a much broader 2016 subpoena, which the Reed administration withheld from the public.

That subpoena confirmed the feds’ probe ran deep into airport and watershed contracting.

As for why the feds now want more records on Macrina three years later…

“Certainly, this subpoena could be used as leverage to get this particular individual to provide information and avoid a later indictment,” Cino said.

The feds also asked to see Macrina's city financial disclosure statements to see if she properly reported any outside income while commissioner.

That's been an issue in cases prosecutors have brought against two former city officials snared in the probe.

Diamant’s phone calls and texts to Macrina were not returned.

Cox Media Group