Two Suspended For Roles in DeKalb Corruption Case

WSBTV is reporting that two DeKalb County officials have been placed on administrative leave, with pay, after testimony to a grand jury that suggested they accepted bribes from vendors. 

Kelvin Walton, the purchasing and contracting director for the county, and Nina Hall, secretary of former CEO Burrell Ellis, have both been suspended. 

Ellis has been indicted for 14 counts of political corruption, and during that jury's process, WSBTV reports that Walton repeatedly failed polygraph tests when asked about accepting bribes from vendors, and that he sent work to certain vendors in exchange for kickbacks. 

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, during her testimony Hall  testified that she believed Walton had funneled money from at least two county vendors to her at a time when she served on at least 15 selection committees for county projects."

Attorney Bob Wilson told WSB-TV that it was unacceptable that Walton and Hill have been suspended with pay. 

“When you admit you lied to a grand jury about things that relate to your job, you get fired,” he said. “Mr. Walton and Ms. Hall now get paid to go home and sit, they can do whatever they want to do and they still get their pay check? It’s beginning to cost this county a lot of taxpayer money for no work.”

The two will remain suspended until the conclusion of the Ellis trial, which is scheduled to begin in September.