Teresa Slayton vs DeKalb County – Motion for Summary Judgment Denied
The Court heard oral argument on the motion for summary judgment on December 6, 2019. For the following reasons noted in the complaint, it was RECOMMENDED that the motion for summary judgment be DENIED.
Teresa Slayton Disputes DeKalb County’s Statement to WSB
Teresa Slayton disputes DeKalb County’s Statement
Unhappy Taxpayer and Voter citizen researchers purchased the sworn testimony of the whistleblower, Teresa Slayton, and the Chief Procurement Officer of Purchasing and Contracting, Talisa Clark, and the following information was revealed:
• The testimony provided information the public needs to see that supports evidence that disputes DeKalb County’s claims that Slayton’s termination was due to attendance, performance, etc.
• The evidence is outlined in I.-III., with page numbers and quotes. We are also attaching DeKalb County’s Human Resources Department emails showing Slayton’s Eligibility Status for Rehire and End of Temporary Employment.
• Did DeKalb County make false statements concerning claims against the whistleblower, Teresa Slayton, to discredit her name and reputation?
Read the testimony and review the emails for yourself.
I. Please read Purchasing and Contracting’s Acknowledgement Letter to Slayton, which clearly shows Slayton requested all performance and disciplinary records and DeKalb County provided personnel files with no documented performance and/or disciplinary records.
a. DeKalb County confirms that Slayton did request records, disciplinary actions, verbal/written warnings, reprimands, misconduct(s), and/or unsatisfactory performances against her.
b. Slayton requested a digital copy of all Purchasing and Contracting interdepartmental files, including former CIP managers February, drafted, six (6) months of performances management plan and appraisals, with rating summaries on employees, former CIP managers files of reprimands, misconduct(s), complaints, including any complaints filed by the employees to management, disciplinary actions and/or unsatisfactory performances;
c. Slayton requested the current Interim CIP managers files of reprimands, misconduct(s), complaints, including any complaints filed by the employee to management, disciplinary actions and/or unsatisfactory performances against the employee.
II. DeKalb County’s Personnel Files on Slayton Attendance, Performance, Evaluation, etc.
Per DeKalb County’s personnel files, released in the Open Records Requests (ORRs) for Slayton, include:
• There are no records in Slayton’s file, written or verbal, for any disciplinary actions;
• There are no attendance concerns, no write-ups/reprimands, no complaints against Slayton;
• There are no records for performance concerns, no records for poor work product, and/or poor quality of work.
Purchasing and Contracting’s Personnel File (19pages)
See page 1: shows time-limited CIP until Dec. 31, 2020
See page 3: shows Time-Limited (service no longer needed)
See page 4: shows Department of Labor reason for termination: “Time-Limited Services No Longer Needed”
See page 6: Termination letter signed by Talisa Clark, “Time-limited, no appeal rights under DeKalb Code”
Human Resources’ Personnel File (39 pages)
See page 1: shows time-limited Dec. 31, 2020
See page 2: shows Time-Limited Employee (service no longer needed)
See page 3: shows Department of Labor reason for termination: “Time-Limited Services No Longer Needed”
See page 4: Termination letter signed by Clark, “Time-limited no appeal rights under DeKalb Code”
See page 7: Time-limited
III. Part 1A, 401pg. TALISA CLARK Sworn Testimony in Deposition – Slayton Attendance, Performance, Evaluation, etc.
Per Talisa Clark’s sworn Feb. 21st, 2019 Deposition, there were no performance concerns documented in Slayton’s personnel file in Human Resources or Purchasing and Contracting and per Clark’s sworn Feb. 21st, 2019 Deposition, there were no expressed concerns about Slayton’s performance to anyone in Human Resources. Lastly, per Clark’s sworn Feb. 21st, 2019 Deposition, there weren’t any disciplinary actions or performance evaluations generated resulting from performance concerns.
(See 105-106 of 401) – 105: 17-25; (See 107 of 401) – 106:1-6 Clark testified “No” record in any form documented meeting concerning performance
(See 113-114 of 401) – 113: 4-10 Clark testified “No” performance evaluation or disciplinary action on Slayton
(See 113-114 of 401) – 113: 11-15 Clark testified “No” performance concerns documented in Slayton personnel file within H.R or P&C.
(See 113-114 of 401) – 113: 16-18 Clark testified “No” express concerns about Slayton’s performance to anyone in H.R.
(See 113-114 of 401) – 113: 25; 114: 1-3 Clark testified “No” meetings concerning Teresa
(See 113-114 of 401) – 118: 17-20 Clark testified “Not recalled” performance concerns in Mar. or Apr. 2017 meeting communicated to HR
(See 118-119 of 401) – 118: 21-25; 119: 1-2 Clark testified “No” to any disciplinary actions or performance evaluations generated resulting from performance concerns expressed in March or April 2017 meeting
(See 122-123 of 401) – 122: 7-16 Clark testified “No” concerns that Clark addressed in Apr.2017 meeting w/Butler wasn’t expressed to HR
(See 128-129 of 401) – 128: 8-10 Clark testified “No” Slayton didn’t receive a performance evaluation or a performance appraisal
(End)
Attorney General Letter Response to Open Records Act Complaint from Viola Davis dated August 17, 2018.
Attorney General Letter Response to Open Records Act Complaint from Viola Davis dated August 17, 2018.
Attorney General Letter Response to Open Records Act Complaint From Viola Davis by Viola Davis on Scribd
Open Records Act Complaint on Price Gouging by DeKalb County
Open Records Request Complaint on Water/Sewer Billing Crisis
By Viola Davis
To DeKalb County Taxpayers and Voters:
We submitted an Open Records Request for the emails of Zachary Williams and Antrameka Knight to perform further research on the water/sewer billing and water crises. We were given an original price of $135.00 each for the digital versions of the emails. We delivered the full payment of $135.00 for Zachary Williams’ emails via money order on July 9, 2018. We agreed to pick up the request via a hard drive on July 16, 2018. We had several citizen researchers ready to go through the emails. However, the county attorney changed the price from $135.00 to $5,376.74.
Truthfully, we cannot afford this price and see such a price as an “over-charge”.
We have received email information from several similar Open Records Requests in the past without such a “review charge” to include:
- Kelvin Walton’s emails – Prior Chief Purchasing Officer (CPO) for DeKalb County Purchasing and Contracting Department …charge was $52.50 on request number 1 and $97.50 on request number 2.
- Talisa Clark’s emails – Present Chief Purchasing Officer (CPO) for DeKalb County Purchasing and Contracting Department…charge was $187.50.
We are forced to ask, “What are they trying to hide?”
Please Note. In reference to your correspondence to me dated August 10, 2018, concerning our Open Records Request for Zachary Williams’ emails, I am not requesting this information as a State Representative-Elect for House District 87.
You will note that all correspondence concerning our request has been submitted by our organization/ministry of Unhappy Taxpayer & Voter and as a community missionary. I have submitted requests to the County as a community missionary for over twenty years. Kindly consider this request as the same.
We are forwarding a timeline of events involving this request and copies of emails, plus other documents for you to review.
Since it is your vote that “hires and fires” elected officials, and your tax money that finances the elected officials’ salaries, budgets, staff, equipment, etc., we proclaim that you are the “Employers” and elected officials are the “Employees”!
Please contact your “employees” and ask the following:
- Why did the County overcharge for this Open Records Request? Is it because we are researching the water/sewer billing crises?
- Finally, what are they trying to hide?
Timeline for Open Records Request for Zachary Williams and Antrameka Knight emails
- July 5, 2018 – We sent an Open Records Request for Zachary Williams’ and Antrameka Knight’s emails.
- July 5, 2018 – We were informed the Open Records Request would cost us $135.00.
- July 6, 2018 – We stated that we would deliver the money for the items requested in the Open Records Request to the Finance Department.
- July 9, 2018 – We delivered $135.00 in the form of a money order to the Finance Department for Zachary Williams’ emails. At that time, we requested an approximate date of when we could pick up the emails (hard drive).
- July 11, 2018 - We agreed to pick up the emails (hard drive) on Monday, July 16, 2018.
- July 12, 2018 – We informed our citizen researchers/volunteers that we will pick up the emails (hard drive) on Monday for them to start review.
- July 13, 2018 – We were informed that our Open Records Request concerning Zachary Williams would have an additional charge.
- July 16, 2018 – We requested information on the additional charges.
- August 3, 2018 – We made a second request for information on the additional charges. We were informed the charges will be well over $1000.00. We challenged the reason for such a drastic and elevated charge.
- August 12, 2018 – We decided to inform the taxpayers and voters of the additional charge of $5,376.74. We ask, “What are they hiding”?
Open Records Act Complaint – DeKalb County Price Gouging With Attachments by Viola Davis on Scribd
Grandmother Challenges Ethics of Ethics Commission by Garland Favorito
Garland Favorito is with Carolyn Cosby.
Grandmother Challenges Ethics of Ethics Commission
ATLANTA, GA – Canton Tea Party founder Carolyn Cosby, a 67-year-old grandmother with physical health challenges, is appealing ethics complaints that she should have registered her small social interest groups as political action committees. The claim alleges she expressly advocated for or against issues or candidates while Cosby contends the advocacy was implicit. Her July 25th appeal hearing in Fulton County Superior Court presented a new challenge to the ethics of the Georgia State Ethics Commission.
The commission’s reputation was shattered in 2012 when it was forced to pay over $3 million dollars to four former employees in wrongful termination lawsuits after they were fired or had their pay diminished while the commission investigated the 2010 campaign of Governor Nathan Deal. The commission was subsequently defunded, restructured and renamed the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission. It then cut a “Deal deal” which fined the Governor $3,350 for questionable expenditures that were not fully investigated. These included over $300,000 in non-disclosed or potentially misdirected payments involving his daughter-in-law and private plane flights.
But in Cosby’s case, the commission applied a double standard. An Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) fined her $30,000 although Cosby’s total expenditures for all groups were likely 1/10th of that. The commission never held a final hearing to review the ALJ decision. Cosby’s attorneys Bruce Fein and Stephen Humphreys argued her disproportionate fine and selective prosecution are arbitrary and capricious as well as a retaliatory attempt to silence watchdog groups who oppose the political establishment.
Georgia law states that anyone who may affect the outcome of an election must register as a committee, however, the commission has never attempted to enforce the law before [O.C.G.A. 21-5-3], O.C.G.A. 21-5-34]. Fein explained the U.S. Supreme Court already ruled in the 1976 Buckley v. Valeo case that Cosby’s implicit advocacy is protected by the 1st Amendment. Asst. Attorney General Christian Fuller, who represents the commission, did not refute that argument. Fein made the same argument at the ALJ hearing but Judge Stephanie Howells stated she could only rule on Georgia law, not constitutional issues even though she is sworn to uphold the U.S. and Georgia Constitutions.
Mrs. Cosby has established a new website to defend free speech rights. She first came under scrutiny from a complaint filed by a former Cherokee County commissioner. Cosby incurred much wrath after exposing “Bobo’s Boondoggle”, a landfill deal that was bungled by commissioners and cost Cherokee taxpayers millions of dollars.
Judge Jane Barwick will rule on the appeal. The Ethics commission chair is Mary Paige Adams and its Executive Director is Stefan Ritter. Ritter successfully argued for the state to retain its unverifiable voting system in a 2009 Georgia Supreme Court case.
#GAPOL #GAGOP #GADEMS #LPGA #CPGA #GALEGAL
@News 95-5 and AM 750 @WSB WSB-TV @11Alive @WXIA-TV 11Alive @FOX 5 Atlanta @CBS46 @Politically @Georgia Politically Screwed
@Phil Kent @Dick Williams @Dunwoody Crier Newspaper
@Erick Erickson @Greg Bluestein @Mark Niesse
@Jon Gillooly @Jessica Szilagyi
Amended Complaint – Teresa Slayton vs. DeKalb County Civil Action File No. 18-CV-3085
Filed 7/18/2018
Teresa Slayton vs. DeKalb County, Georgia Civil Action File No. 18-CV-3085
We purchased another Whistleblower complaint today. This is the amended complaint of Teresa Slayton vs. DeKalb County, Georgia Civil Action File No. 18CV3085. Since the taxpayers and voters are the “Employers” of this local government, we will help provide these complaints to educate the public on risks that may cost our government taxpayers’ money.
https://www.wsbtv.com/video?videoId=792920220&videoVersion=1.0
Teresa Slayton vs DeKalb County – Whistleblower Lawsuit Amended Complaint Civil Action File No. 18CV3085 by Viola Davis on Scribd
Scott Towler vs. DeKalb County – Whistleblower Lawsuit Civil Action No. 18CV7119
Scott Towler v Dekalb County – Whistleblower Lawsuit Civil Action No. 18CV7119 – Towler Lawsuit – 7-13-18
Do you want to read the lawsuit for yourself? Well, we uploaded the document for you to read. Enjoy.
Scott Towler v Dekalb County – Whistleblower Lawsuit Civil Action No. 18CV7119 – Towler Lawsuit – 7-13-18 by Viola Davis on Scribd
Garland Favorito: New Voting System Excludes Election Integrity Experts
June 11, 2018
Contact: Garland Favorito
VoterGA.org …(404) 664-4044
New Voting System Panel Excludes Election Integrity Experts
ATLANTA GA – When Secretary of State (SOS) Brian Kemp’s new 18 member voting system commission meets on June 13th it will include no election integrity (EI) advocate and no information technology (IT) operations professional. The commission does include a cybersecurity expert as recommended by local EI advocates during the last legislative session, but neither of the other two critical disciplines recommended will be represented on the commission.
National EI experts have publicly hacked the type of voting machine Georgia uses at Princeton, Georgia Tech, and the U.S. Congress. Local EI advocates are the only individuals, who have compiled a history of Georgia voting system problems, documented Georgia voting system vulnerabilities and personally advocated for specific legislative changes to protect Georgia voters.
Nationally recognized EI experts at Verified Voting provided testimony and assistance for the Georgia House Science & Technology committee last year. Local EI groups include Voter GA, Georgians for Verified Voting, and Defenders of Democracy. They have up to 16 years of verified voting system research and voting system issue tracking that dates to before the current system was installed in 2002. Other local groups who are strong voting system integrity advocates include Common Cause Georgia, Madison Forum, and Electronic Frontiers of Georgia.
In lieu of such expertise, two lobbyists with no obvious elections experience were added to the commission as “voters at large”. One registered lobbyist is close to House Speaker David Ralston. Another is a member of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council that made three unsuccessful attempts to legalize no-knock searches in 2015. EI advocates are concerned about lobbyist involvement in the voting system selection. They claimed in the last session that incumbent voting system vendor ES&S and their lobbyist Georgia Link exercised undue influence over SB403 bill language in the House at the expense of voter protections. They argued legislators are obligated to protect Georgia voters, not out of state vendors.
The omissions and anomalies raised concerns again that leaders could “hard wire” a deal to current vendor ES&S before a new incoming SOS can take office. The system ES&S promoted and deployed in a 2017 Rockdale pilot tabulates votes hidden in unverifiable barcodes while showing the voter selections that may be different. EI advocates unanimously oppose another such unverifiable vote system.
Teresa Slayton vs DeKalb County – Whistleblower Lawsuit Civil Action File No. 18CV3085
This is a copy of the Whistleblower Lawsuit Civil Action File No. 18CV3085 Teresa Slayton vs DeKalb County
Teresa Slayton vs DeKalb County – Whistleblower Lawsuit Civil Action File No. 18CV3085 by Viola Davis on Scribd
New Leadership Set Higher Standards and Quality Life for DeKalb County
New Leadership Set Higher Standards and Quality Life for DeKalb County
By Viola Davis
DeKalb County electorate sent a strong message that its taxpayers and voters wanted a higher quality of life and ethical leadership. Due to continuous news stories of corruption, blight and unethical behavior, the voters demonstrated accountability by removing several incumbents and replacing them with new leadership. After a year, we want to report the following findings:
CEO Michael Thurmond – CEO Michael Thurmond entered the office with an initial action plan that placed the money where his mouth is. He went on the attack to improve blight in DeKalb County with the help and support of the Board of Commissioner by financing the Quality of Life unit, an innovative program created by the Solicitor General’s Office. CEO Thurmond ended deficit spending, built the county’s fund balance and moving forward to place DeKalb County on a more solid financial foundation. Due to systemic problems ranging from inadequate planning, staffing and training to inefficient billing software, defective water meters and insufficient communication that had eroded customer confidence, he continued the moratorium on water shut-offs.
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners approved $2.6 million for Operation Clean Sweep in the county’s 2017 operating budget of $1.3 billion. This funding helped CEO Thurmond address his top priorities involving the county’s water billing crisis and blight. We are proud to announce that CEO Thurmond is responsible for the removal of more than 5,600 tons of debris, clearing over 20 illegal dumping sites, and addressing over 80 dilapidated properties. It is long overdue to sing CEO Michael Thurmond’s accomplishments.
Commissioner Steve Bradshaw – Commissioner Steve Bradshaw defeated the incumbent in a runoff election with a landslide victory from the 4th Commission District of about 150,000 people in the Stone Mountain area. He recently demonstrated unity by appearing with Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson and Commissioner Gregory Adams at a town hall meeting to discuss the proliferation of store closings in South DeKalb at the Lou Walker Senior Center on Panola Road. Commissioner Bradshaw and Presiding Officer Jeff Rader created the ad hoc committee to identify the “root cause” of the problems causing the water crisis in DeKalb County.
Commissioner Steve Bradshaw set a completely new standard for launching “Quarterly in the Fourth” community breakfast meetings for District 4 constituents and other interest parties. He sent out a mailer to inform the public about the meetings. The focus of the meetings involved code enforcement, quality of life issues, and safety. The meeting was heavily attended and gave the taxpayers and voters the opportunity to address Commissioner Bradshaw directly with their concerns and issues within the district. With the cry for more information and public contact, Commissioner Bradshaw is setting a high standard for others to follow. Hats off to you, Commissioner Steve Bradshaw!
Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling – Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling established the “Quality of Life Unit” in 2017 to address concerns about code violations and nuisance issues in the county. With the help of CEO Michael Thurmond and the Board of Commissioners approving a budget request of over $70,000 from the Office of the Solicitor-General, the “Quality of Life Unit” includes:
Two Assistant Solicitor-Generals
A Community Prosecutor
An Investigator
A Legal Assistant
One of the Assistant Solicitor-Generals appeared at Commissioner Steve Bradshaw’s community breakfast over the weekend to inform the public of Solicitor-General’s mission and a directive to target dilapidated properties with numerous code citations, the prosecution of cases involving code violation, blight, nuisance and other issues plaguing communities. By working with the Magistrate Court, the partnership between the different government agencies demonstrates how the overall quality of life for the citizenry of DeKalb County can be uplifted through unity and setting priorities to eliminate these problems and answer the public outcry for improvements. We say to Solicitor-General Donna Coleman-Stribling, thank you for showing us that action speaks louder than words.