James May June 2024 web - Flipbook - Page 7
Pete Skandalakis, executive director of the Prosecuting
Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, named himself as the lead
investigator into Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ involvement in the
alternate elector case following the 2020 presidential
election. Skandalakis was assigned the case after Democrat Fulton County DA Fani Willis was forced to recuse
herself from prosecuting Republican Jones because
she hosted a fundraiser for his opponent in the 2022
lieutenant governor’s race. Skandalakis was tasked with
finding a prosecutor to investigate but waited almost
two years before making a decision. Two big questions
remain: Will he charge Jones? Or drop the case for being
weak? The investigation remains Drifting . . .
The Judicial Qualifications Commission unanimously
ruled that Douglas County Probate Judge Christina
Peterson be ousted following “systemic incompetence”
that included abuse of courthouse personnel, asking the
public for birthday cash on social media and even jailing
a woman who was just trying to amend her marriage
certificate. The Georgia Supreme Court will have the
ultimate say on Peterson’s fate but given the JQC’s findings her judicial reputation is Sinking . . .
Georgia will receive $638 million as its share of a settlement from pharmaceutical companies for producing
and distributing prescription painkillers which fostered
the nationwide opioid crisis. The newly-created Opioid
Crisis Abatement Trust will be in charge of distributing most of the funds, the vast majority earmarked for
fighting the crisis through treatment, education and
prevention programs. RISING . . .
Ten Georgians were included in Forbes’ ‘2024 Billionaires
List,’ the biggest and richest list yet. Among them are
three Cathy siblings of Chick-fil-A fame, (Bubba, Dan,
and Trudy), Home Depot co-founders Arthur Blank and
Bernie Marcus, and Jim Kennedy, the Cox Enterprises
scion and longtime chairman. Rounding out the list are
John Brown, founder of Stryker Corp., a medical device
manufacturer, Gary Rollins of the Orkin pest control
company, and Dan Kurzius and Ben Chestnut, co-founders of email giant MailChimp. Safe to say if you made
this list your ship is RISING . . .
The 2024 legislative session was a very good one for state
employees, with the budget adding a four percent pay
increase. More positive news came when the Senate
approved HB 1010, which doubled the amount of paid
parental leave that state employees receive from three
weeks to six. Parental leave was a key priority for House
Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, and the bill’s passage
into law will have state employees RISING . . .
The last domino to fall in the Atlanta City Hall corruption
scandal that occurred under former Mayor Kasim Reed
fell when Jim Beard, the city’s former chief financial
officer, plead guilty to an array of federal charges. He is
sentenced to up to 13 years in prison. Beard was charged
with spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars on
personal use, including trips and a pair of fully automatic rifles, as well as lying on his tax returns. While Reed
himself has never been charged, Beard is the 9th person
sentenced to prison as a result of the corruption investigation that has Reed’s legacy Sinking . . .
An officer for the Georgia Public Service Commission
ruled that Sandersville Railroad Company can move
forward with building a 4.5-mile rail spur in Hancock
County, linking a quarry and string of other developments to an existing CSX rail line. Landowners along the
line opposed the plan and the act of eminent domain
that would force them to sell parcels of their property in
exchange for “just compensation.” But the PSC representative believed that the rail line will serve the public
good, creating jobs and boosting the economy in one of
the state’s poorest counties. The decision is expected to
be appealed, but a ruling in favor of the rail project has
its future RISING . . .
What’s the best job in city government? In Atlanta it’s
without a doubt the Manager of Nightlife and Culture, a new position created by Mayor Andre Dickens
and filled by Kristin Edwards. She is a liaison between
industry leaders, city officials and law enforcement, and
Dickens says he hopes it will foster a “safe and flourishing nightlife scene.” RISING . . .
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