FBI looking into city government
Inquiry confirmed by law department; scope of scrutiny unknown
The Augusta Law Department confirmed Tuesday the empaneling of a federal grand jury and an accompanying federal criminal investigation of unknown scope into Augusta government activities.
After the Augusta Commission voted July 30 to refer allegations against Commissioner Sammie Sias to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, The Augusta Chronicle requested copies of all state and federal subpoenas sent to the city since July 23.
The law department said Tuesday that it had not received any GBI subpoenas, but it confirmed the existence of a federal criminal investigation.
In its refusal to release FBI subpoenas, the law department cited a federal law prohibiting the release of "records, orders and subpoenas relating to grand jury proceedings."
Instead, those documents must be "kept under seal to the extent and as long as necessary to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of a matter occurring before a grand jury," the city said.
A federal grand jury can meet several times over a period of months before determining whether enough evidence exists to to return indictments against individuals suspected of crimes, making the investigation's direction or timeline difficult to ascertain.
The Chronicle's records request did not specify only records connected to an investigation of Sias' activities at Jamestown Community Center, so the scope of the federal investigation is unknown. The office of U.S. Attorney Bobby Christine has declined to state whether a federal investigation exists.
Asked about the FBI investigation, Mayor Hardie Davis said it was the city’s policy “not to comment on an investigation, if one were being conducted internally or externally, until the completion of said investigation.”
Most on the 10-member Augusta Commission were reluctant to comment on the federal investigation.
Commissioner John Clarke said he had “heard there is an active FBI investigation” but didn’t know what it targeted.
“No one has commented on being contacted by them or who or what they are looking into,” he said.
The GBI's Jamestown investigation requested by the commission last week began Friday, and GBI Agent-in-Charge Pat Morgan said it remains in its early stages.
The city requested the GBI look into allegations by former Jamestown manager Willa Hilton that Sias pocketed money intended for the center and falsified financial records to obtain sales tax funds for capital improvements. She also alleges that Sias used alcohol, wore a gun and watched porn at the center, in violation of city policy.
Sias has said the allegations are the claims of a scorned former lover with whom he'd had a 20-year extramarital affair.
Former Commissioner Moses Todd, who has sought to reform operations at Jamestown, called on the commission Tuesday to conduct a forensic audit in addition to the GBI investigation of Jamestown to "tell you how to avoid this happening again," although the commission took no action on the request at its meeting. "If you don’t, then the public, taxpayers and voters are going to do the right thing" and vote them out of office, Todd said.
Sias blasted back, saying that in 2003, the city had "asked us to build a building for the government" despite lacking tools to do so.
"The deal was, if you want improvements out here, you do it," Sias said.
He said the Sandridge Neighborhood Association, which has had a contract to run Jamestown since the late 1990s and received sales tax funds for capital improvements, did the repairs for less than architect Virgo Gambill's estimates of $450,000 and $400,000.
"We were restored with $130,000 to do a $450,000 project," Sias said. "I know it don't leave any room for skimming."
Since 2007, Sandridge has received an additional $308,000 in funding to work on Jamestown, where the city pays all utilities and other expenses.
Commissioner Brandon Garrett, whose district includes Jamestown, said he'd welcome a forensic audit of Jamestown spending and operations.
The Augusta Recreation and Parks Department has been on-site at Jamestown Community Center for the past two weeks, interim Recreation Director Ron Houck said.
The city resumed oversight of Jamestown after the Augusta Commission voted July 30 to remove Commissioner Sammie Sias from the center, which his organization operated, after a former manager accused him of financial improprieties and inappropriate behavior at the center.
Current Jamestown hours are 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Houck said. The facility is also open for rentals and group meetings, he said.
"As we move forward, staff will review operations and determine the appropriate programming needs and subsequent hours required to provide recreational opportunities for our community," Houck said.