Interim Inspector General introduces interns, says 50+ investigations await governing-board sign-off

LaDawn Blackett, interim inspector general for the City of Atlanta, introduced interns from her office to the City Council’s Finance and Executive Committee on July 16 and told the panel that roughly 60 investigations are complete but awaiting action because the governing board has not been constituted. Blackett told the committee the Office of Inspector General (OIG) has filled several leadership roles since she took the post March 3 and currently has one final analyst posted in the iPRO (investigations and compliance) division. She said the office is continuing to recruit additional staff and that two positions — an assistant inspector general and an investigative position — still need to be posted; two other positions (an iPRO analyst and a senior investigator) were in applicant review. Blackett said investigators have completed work on about 60 to 70 matters and that “at least 50” of those are ready to be presented to a governing board for final disposition. She said the absence of a governing board does not prevent city administration from taking some administrative actions, but that final closure and formal resolutions for substantiated matters require the board’s sign-off. She emphasized that many matters reported to the OIG are not sustained after investigation. “The vast majority are us saying, we looked at it. It’s not fraud,” she said. The interim inspector general described the OIG’s notification process: when an investigation is finished, non‑anonymous complainants and subjects will receive written notice that includes the date of the governing-board hearing and an opportunity to provide documents or speak. Blackett said the OIG will inform complainants within 14 days if a submitted matter does not fall within the OIG’s jurisdiction and will refer them to the appropriate oversight office (for example, audit or ethics) when applicable. During public comment the committee asked about a previously submitted case concerning emergency shelter services. Blackett said the inquiry did not fit the OIG’s jurisdiction because it involved auditing issues rather than alleged waste, fraud, abuse or corruption under the OIG’s mandate; she said the office would provide an explanation and next steps to the requester and urged the councilmember to contact the OIG for more detail. Blackett also introduced interns Kaylee Hadley (Georgia State University, senior) and Janae Price (recent Georgia State University graduate) and noted another intern, Ruby Kelly from the University of Georgia, was not present. She thanked Human Resources and other city departments for assistance in filling OIG positions. Committee members asked for the OIG to accelerate outreach to civic organizations that nominate governing-board members so the backlog can move forward. No formal committee action was taken at the meeting on governing-board appointments.