Open letter to ACC commissioners re: Ethics and conflicts of interest
September 10, 2026
Dear Commissioners,
I am writing to you because two formal ethics/conflict-of-interest (COl) complaints I filed with the City Attorney in June and July 2026 remain publicly unaddressed over 60 days later. In that regard, I am requesting a formal public response from you to the specific questions on page three of this letter.
Overview
These complaints allege COl's involving the mayor and two nonprofit organizations. The City Attorney acknowledged receipt of these complaints, and I understand the City Attorney promptly provided these complaints to you for action.
Despite the seriousness of the allegations and the passage of significant time, I have not received a response to reasonable questions such as "what is the status of these complaints; what process governs them; who has the responsibility for resolving these
complaints, and when will the public receive a response? There is also no evidence from
meeting agendas of the Commission that these complaints have been calendared for
discussion and action.
I recognize that not every complaint will result in a finding of wrongdoing, and I am not
asking the Commission to reach a predetermined conclusion. My concern is more basic:
formal complaints should be acknowledged, evaluated under the applicable procedures, and resolved or otherwise addressed in a manner that provides the public with confidence that the process is functioning as intended to assign
accountability. This means the process should be public, timely, and transparent.
The absence of a clear response is particularly concerning because these matters involve
an elected official and organizations that interacted with local government for financial
gain for the organization. When questions involving potential COls are raised, timely transparency regarding the applicable process is essential regardless of the eventual outcome. Otherwise, public trust in you and local government is eroded.
I suggest there are two central questions of concern to the public.
First, what process does Athens-Clarke County follow when a formal complaint concerns an elected official or an organization with which that official has a relationship? Second, does Athens-Clarke
County government have two ethical standards, one for employees and then a separate
standard for elected and non-elected officials and organizations?
Based on these circumstances, it is reasonable to consider that the Athens Clarke County
government may well be an accountability desert. This term refers to the disappearance of
the moral imperative for and absence of actions to hold officials to high standards of behavior, specifically ethical behavior, and then impose accountability for violations that are transparent and known to the public.
When officials take an oath of office they are making a formal declaration of loyalty to the Constitution, in this case the State of Georgia. You are also making a declaration to enforce the approved ordinances of the Athens Clarke County Unified Government by taking timely and transparent action to investigate and adjudicate complaints imposing accountability.
I am not aware of any provision in the Athens-Clarke Couty Code of Ordinances that permits formally filed complaints to simply be ignored as if they did not exist. The oath of office is the basis for accountability and officials can be judged against the standards they swore to uphold. The oath also functions as a public trust mechanism, reinforcing the
relationship between the government and the people.
A Request for Accountability, Not Prejudgment
I want to be clear that this letter is not a demand that you reach a particular conclusion
about the allegations. It is a demand that you demonstrate that formally submitted complaints are being handled through a defined, impartial, and publicly accountable process.
The issue is therefore not simply whether the allegations ultimately prove to be substantiated. The issue is whether citizens who submit formal complaints can reasonably expect those complaints to be publicly acknowledged, evaluated under identifiable rules, assigned to responsible authorities for investigation and adjudication, and resolved within a reasonable period of time with transparency.
The issues of the transparency of the Athens-Clarke County complaint process, as well as
the administration and adjudication of possible COl and other ethical violations, are not new. Over the past four years I have brought possible COl and other ethical violations involving elected and unelected officials to your attention.
More recently, at the 3 June 2025 Mayor and Commission Meeting, I publicly delivered each
of you a hard copy of a letter summarizing my previous complaints and an analysis of the
Athens-Clarke County ethics ordinance. This analysis and recommended revisions
addressed PART 1 - CHARTER ARTICLE II. - LEGISLATIVE ARTICLE CHAPTER 3. ETHICS,
PROHIBITED PRACTICES, AND COMPLAINT PROCESS. To date I have received no response
from you or anyone in a position of authority in ACC government to any of these complaints and the analysis of the ethics ordinance.
Specific Questions
Accordingly, 1 respectfully request that the Commission provide a response addressing the
following questions to provide clarity to the public:
1. What is the current status of the formal complaints submitted in June and July 2026? And by extension the complaints summarized in my 3 June 2025 letter
delivered to you during the Mayor and Commission meeting.
2. What County ordinance, policy, or established procedure governs the review
and disposition of these complaints?
3. Which individual, office, board, or body has responsibility for reviewing and responding to them? Specifically, who is responsible and accountable?
4. Have the complaints been reviewed or investigated, and if so, what is the status
of that review, when will the review be completed, and when will the results be adjudicated and by whom?
5. If no action has been taken, what is the reason for the delay and what is the anticipated timetable for addressing the complaints?
6. If the Commission believes that the complaints do not fall within its jurisdiction or applicable procedures, will you provide that determination in writing with an explanation of the basis for that decision? If that is the case, will you provide
direction as to how to redress these complaints?
These questions are not intended to prejudge the merits of any complaint or to suggest that a particular outcome is required. Rather, they are intended to ensure residents understand how formal complaints involving public officials are handled. This means ensuring the process is applied consistently and transparently to these and all complaints
involving all elected and unelected officials, employees, and organizations engaged with
the Athens-Clarke County government.
Public confidence depends not only on the decisions government makes, but also on the integrity and transparency of the processes used to reach those decisions. When formal concerns are raised and remain unexplained to the public, you create the perception that the concerns have not received consideration for inappropriate reasons. A clear
explanation of the process and status of these matters would help address that concern.
Summary
Over the past four years, I have brought these conflicts of interest and other alleged
violations to your attention in the hope that you would act promptly consistent with your
responsibilities to protect the equities of the public and the integrity of Athens-Clarke County government. In other words, you should reflect on your role and responsibility, take the initiative to set high standards of behavior, impose measures of accountability, and assure the public of the integrity of its local government.
The public is entitled to know that complaints concerning elected officials are handled
according to established rules rather than left unresolved without explanation.
Unfortunately, there is no public record that you have taken forthright action to address these complaints. Delaying action does not make these allegations less serious, go away, or absolve you from your responsibility and accountability or any possible liability.
To date the lack of clarity raises legitimate questions about the Athens Clarke County complaint process for receiving, reviewing, investigating, and resolving complaints involving elected officials. Commissioners, I respectfully ask that you treat this request as an opportunity to clarify the applicable procedures, provide an accounting of the status of
the complaints, and reaffirm Athens-Clarke County's commitment to transparent and consistent governmental processes.
I await your response to my concerns and specific questions.
For the record, this letter and associated documents will be made available for public
consideration.
Sincerely,
Michael H. McLendon
Princeton Mill
706.207.6068
