ATLANTA – Atlanta City Councilmember Michael Bond is facing more potential ethics violations.
The Atlanta City Council Ethics Office is amending a previous ethics complaint. According to a letter sent to Bond by the Ethics Office on Nov. 4, the new potential violations include allegations that Bond used city funds to sponsor non-city related functions, including a breakfast for the Atlanta Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. as part of a "Delta Day at the Capitol."
Bond also allegedly accepted tickets for personal use for his family and staff, including tickets for Dragon Con in 2011 to 2014, a 2012 Chaka Khan concert at the Cobb Energy Centre, a 2013 Hunger Games filming and a 2014 VIP screening of Captain America: the Winter Soldier.
The letter says that the Ethics Office has evidence that Bond used a travel advance to attend the Congressional Black Caucus Meeting in Washington, D.C. in Sept. 2010, which Bond did not attend. The letter also says that Bond provided $500 bonuses to three staff members last Christmas.
The 11Alive Investigators first reported on the questionable expenses, which sparked an ethics investigation. 11Alive's Catie Beck found thousands of tax dollars spent on party favors for a high school reunion, a private tutor for Bond, trips he took without providing receipts and a recent trip to Washington, D.C., which turned out to be the same weekend as his family reunion.
Beck also reported on another questionable trip to Boston, with Bond buying himself expensive private tutoring on the city's dime, and buying high school classmates party favors and food for their class reunion.
On Wednesday, 11Alive reported that Bond planned to pay the city back for the expenses. Bond still denied any wrongdoing.
Bond has until Dec. 4 to response to the new allegations.
