DECATUR, Ga. -- Dekalb County Commissioner Stan Watson declined to comment on the recent reprimand he received from the Dekalb County Ethics Board at Tuesday's County Commission meeting. It was the first reprimand issued in 15 years in DeKalb County.
"No comment, no comment, thank you ma'a,m," was all Watson said to 11Alive's Valerie Hoff as commissioners went into executive session.
Ethics investigators say Watson was a paid consultant for a company that did business with the county and he voted twice in favor of awarding or extending contracts with the company, which the county had hired to rehab foreclosed homes.
Commissioner Nancy Jester said she favored a stronger penalty than a mere reprimand for Watson.
"I certainly think the motion that was made to suspend without pay would have been a better outcome and I also want people to be held accountable from the legal aspect," she said.
Local, federal and private investigators have been looking into allegations of ethics violations and corruption in DeKalb County.
District Attorney Robert James had no comment on Watson's ethics reprimand. He said his office is still actively investigating allegations of improprieties in Dekalb County.
James' investigation is separate from the private investigation launched by former Attorney General Michael Bowers at the request of Commission Chairman Lee May.
