Former Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore says she has deep concerns over proposed changes to limit the powers of the Office of the Inspector General, warning against hastily moving forward without determining exactly what needs to be fixed.
Moore first raised her concerns last week at the Atlanta City Council’s Finance Committee meeting. She was one of many who spoke out against the legislation during public comment. Critics argue the changes would gut the city hall watchdog of its independence and authority to investigate wrongdoing.
Moore suggested council members hold a series of public work sessions so residents can learn more of what is taking place. Some members were open to the idea, but after making a few tweaks to the original legislation, the committee voted to send it to the full council.
The council is slated to consider the bill Jan. 23. The meeting starts and 2 p.m. and can be watched live on Atlanta Channel 26 and also the city council’s Facebook page.
“My advice to council, which is unsolicited, is that I would caution any of them from moving forward hastily and making any changes to the Office of Inspector General without first having work sessions that first start with, ‘What are we trying to fix?'” she told Rough Draft. “We need to have a clear answer to that question,” she said.
Otherwise, changing the OIG’s role without transparency “is like trying to fix a car while it’s driving or a plane while it’s flying,” she said. “If you don’t hit pause and allow for a comprehensive discussion, you risk making changes that the public won’t be able to keep up with. People won’t know what’s going on, and they won’t be able to respond properly.”
Inspector General Shannon Manigault told the city council last year, during public comment of a regular meeting, her office faced a crisis because top city officials were obstructing investigations — an issue she hoped they would help fix.
Instead, Mayor Andre Dickens created a task force to review the OIG and recommend changes to its role. They include allowing the mayor and city council to appoint two members to the OIG governing board, which some argue puts politics into an office that is supposed to be independent. New language has been added to state the OIG only conducts administrative investigations and is prohibited from any criminal investigations.
Moore, who lost to Dickens in the 2021 mayoral runoff, said controversial accusations are contributing to the confusion and political drama. She pointed to a video put out by the mayor’s office after the finance committee meeting. The video claims some employees complained the OIG used “abusive conduct that violated their rights in what they describe as witch hunts that went nowhere” because the office has no clear parameters in the original legislation.
City Attorney Patrise Perkins-Hooker is in the video and alleges the inspector general went into employees’ homes and offices to take their personal cell phones and their personal computers.
Manigault denied the allegations in a letter to Perkins-Hooker that was sent to members of the media.
“In public meetings and in private meetings, OIG has repeatedly corrected the false statements that you and other senior leaders in the Dickens administration have made regarding the City devices OIG obtained in February 2024 in connection with active investigations,” Manigault said.
“Facts matter. With this City video, you have demonstrated a disregard for facts. Put simply, you have told lies. Those lies cannot stand,” she said.
“It’s a misinformation campaign,” Moore said. “The video triggered me, and I understand why some city employees might be upset — they’re being fed information that’s not totally correct.”
Moore pushed for the independent watchdog office during her tenure as council president. At the time, the city was in the grips of a federal procurement scandal involving former Mayor Kasim Reed’s administration. Regaining residents’ trust was a priority for the council.
A task force created by former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms recommended hiring an inspector general. The council approved the legislation in 2020.
“Based on history and recent and current corruption cases and investigations, the city needs an IG office that is empowered to go wherever the evidence may lead, including to the highest level, without fear or favor, and let the chips fall where they may,” the report says.
Moore said she hopes the council continues what was started just five years ago.
“Let’s not be on the wrong side of history,” Moore concluded. “The public deserves transparency, and so does the City of Atlanta.”
