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myAJC Investigations
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Repeat offenders targeted vulnerable patients
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A national epidemic
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A raped patient's shocking testimony
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50-state report on doctors who abuse patients
Doctors & Sex Abuse
How abusive doctors keep working
Atlanta's role as offender destination
Doctors sexually abuse patients yet avoid police
How a sex abuse victim put her neurologist in prison
A national epidemic
Georgia ?쁯sychoeducational??students segregated by disability, race
Georgia?셲 public schools assign a vastly disproportionate number of African American students to psychoeducational programs, segregating them not just by disability but also by race, an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found.
Hapeville official leaves trail of fraud allegations, ruined lives
A Hapeville city councilwoman facing trial for stealing more than $100,000 has a history of preying on her tax clients and is now under investigation by the state for preparing thousands of suspicious tax returns, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Channel 2 Action News investigation has found.
Photos: AJC Investigates: This is what a tax raid looks like
Hapeville City Councilwoman Ruth Barr faces criminal prosecution for fraud and has a history of consumer complaints in her tax preparation business. Photos show the state of Georgia raiding Barr's company, B&B Accounting & Tax Services, on Friday May 6, 2016, based on a search warrant.
Gwinnett case led to far-reaching tax fraud investigation
One of the largest tax preparer fraud investigations in recent Georgia history started with allegations that a relative stole a Gwinnett County couple’s $109,000 retirement account.
What to do if you suspect you?셶e been a victim of tax preparer fraud
If you suspect your tax preparer of fraud or mistakes on your tax return it’s important to correct the problems or risk paying fines that can grow over time, according to experts.
Atlanta couple duped by tax preparer
For years, Margaret Turner and her husband, William, trusted Hapeville City councilwoman Ruth Barr to do their personal taxes after a neighbor recommended her and touted Barr’s ability to get refunds.
Taxpayer Beware: How to choose a tax preparer
Lack of professional standards and oversight of tax preparers has led to an industry rife with fraud or mistakes, and consumers must be careful when choosing someone to prepare their tax returns, according to experts and government officials.
Incentive deal for Atlanta Hawks??Brookhaven facility called ?쁪ickback??
A tax incentive deal for the Atlanta Hawks to build a practice facility in Brookhaven includes a creative wrinkle that has critics questioning whether these kinds of arrangements have gone too far.
Nearly finished State Farm tower won?셳 get tax break
State Farm is backing off its pursuit of $15 million in tax incentives for a Dunwoody office tower that?셲 already almost built.
No tax break for Dunwoody State Farm tower
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there — but your tax money isn’t. The nation’s largest property insurance company backed off its pursuit of $15 million in tax incentives to build a Dunwoody office tower that’s almost completely constructed, said spokesman Justin Tomczak in a statement Monday.
Gas company uses DeKalb logo to drum up business
In the constant barrage of circulars, credit card offers and other unsolicited mailings sent to DeKalb residents, Gas South’s letters stand apart.
Tax breaks given for apartments connected to Chamblee mayor
The city of Chamblee’s economic development board recently awarded $11 million in tax breaks for a luxury apartment complex that’s being designed by the company that Chamblee Mayor Eric Clarkson works for.
Water billing problems persist for DeKalb residents
The water bill for Sam Levy’s Dunwoody home usually runs around $250 a month. But not on his last bill.
Business growth threatened by DeKalb sewer problems
Five developers interested in locating businesses in DeKalb County will have to wait, for now, because officials say aging sewer lines can?셳 handle the additional load.
Texting while governing: Smart phones outwit open meetings law
After months of public debate and hours upon hours of public hearings, Milton resident Laura Rencher found herself on the losing side of a bitter zoning fight before the mayor and City Council.
Feds will sue Georgia over segregated ?쁯sychoeducational??schools
For at least six months, state and federal officials swapped proposals and counterproposals on what to do about Georgia’s unique system of so-called psychoeducational schools.
Suspicions surround DeKalb?셲 ?쁬issing??millions
The item is buried on a 4-year-old DeKalb County Purchasing Department spreadsheet: an eyebrow-raising $72,348,739.
Extra fees added to DeKalb traffic tickets
It was a battle cry that resonated in DeKalb County: Traffic courts should focus on justice, not on raising money.
Investigation finds DeKalb didn?셳 report 35 sewage spills
DeKalb County officials underreported the number of times sewage overflowed into creeks and rivers, possibly violating a judge’s order, according to an investigation’s findings released Tuesday.
DeKalb lowballed sewage spills
DeKalb County’s government failed to report 35 sewage spills that polluted waterways over the last four years, according to the results of the county’s investigation released Tuesday.
Georgia fights feds to keep schools for disabled
Under investigation for violating the rights of disabled children, Georgia is pledging to overhaul its so-called psychoeducational schools.
A year later, Marietta still keeping widow?셲 pension
This is a tough week for Janet Cosper, a church-going, part-time dental receptionist from Cobb County.
Shifting of campaign funds by 4 Georgia congressmen raises questions
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter raised more than $360,000 in contributions over five years while running for and then serving in the Georgia Senate, much of it coming from statehouse special interests.
Broken system forgives sexually abusive doctors
The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reveals sexual abuse by doctors in 50 states, a system that forgives them, and victims who brought some to justice.
Video: Georgia teen presses Congress on childhood hunger
Georgia teen presses Congress on childhood hunger. Read more here.
Photos: Photos: Sophie Edwards, 13, goes to Washington
Marietta teen Sophie Edwards takes her campaign to end childhood hunger to Congress.
Marietta teen presses Congress on childhood hunger
Sophie Edwards of Marietta is passionate about ending childhood hunger in Georgia. Like many activists, she started small.
Gwinnett case led to far-reaching tax fraud investigation
One of the largest tax preparer fraud investigations in recent Georgia history started with allegations that a relative stole a Gwinnett County couple’s $109,000 retirement account.
Secretive political fund tied to House Speaker Ralston
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has found a secretive political fund with ties to House Speaker David Ralston, a longtime advocate for transparency in political spending.
MyAJC Watchdog: House Speaker Ralston?셲 secret political fund
I believe people have a right to know who is behind the money driving our political system. I’m hardly alone.
Hapeville official leaves trail of fraud allegations, ruined lives
A Hapeville city councilwoman facing trial for stealing more than $100,000 has a history of preying on her tax clients and is now under investigation by the state for preparing thousands of suspicious tax returns, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution/Channel 2 Action News investigation has found.
Physical restraints common at psychoeducational schools
Special educational programs record five times more restraints that all other Georgia schools combined.
State lawmaker seeks dramatic cuts in welfare, food stamps
This week I wrote about how Georgia won’t be requiring photos on food stamp cards. But that’s just a proxy for the real battle underway to dramatically scale back the food stamp program in Georgia.
What did former Rep. Paul Broun know? Corruption probe inches closer
In 2014, then-U.S. Rep. Paul Broun repeatedly told congressional ethics investigators that a political consultant paid with tax money was a ?쐖olunteer??for his election campaigns, but a federal corruption indictment unsealed last month called that a ?쐁over story.
Photos on food stamp cards: Why it didn?셳 happen
Two years ago, state lawmakers thumped their chest and proclaimed House Bill 772 the toughest anti-food stamp fraud law in the nation.
Stone Mountain?셲 dilemma: freedom of speech or freedom from protests?
Following violent counter protests at a white supremacist rally Saturday, authorities at Stone Mountain say they are investigating ways to “prevent or control” future rallies when public safety is an issue.
Stone Mountain exploring ways to ?쁯revent or control??future rallies
After last weekend?셲 unruly display of free speech, officials at Stone Mountain Park are exploring ways to further control ??or even stop ??future rallies on the basis that they put the public in danger, I?셶e learned.
Judge to shut down investment scheme
A Woodstock millionaire?셲 empire of investment companies will be shut down and dismantled, a federal judge has ruled, breaking up what authorities allege was a Ponzi scheme that roped in investors from across the country.
Flying on the taxpayers dime: who uses the state helicopters?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution took at look at who is flying in the state helicopters, thanks to Georgia?셲 open records laws, and found these numbers.
School superintendent major user of state helicopter
Georgia?셲 school superintendent has to travel across the state as part of his job, but unlike many commuters he gets to soar above the gridlock.
What you need to know about the white power rally at Stone Mountain
Updates: Arrests, Violence as Stone Mountain protesters clash Hundreds of protesters are expected to flood Stone Mountain Park Saturday and it may be hard to figure out who is protesting what and why.
White extremists rally at Stone Mountain as heritage gives way to hate
A year ago, the Confederate flag was not a front-of-mind issue for most Georgians. Some considered it a dead issue in the state, a battle fought and won in 2001 when the battle emblem was removed from the state flag in a racially charged political season.
Insurance chief ignored warnings on firm accused of Ponzi scheme
Five years before the federal government accused a Woodstock millionaire of running a multistate, multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme, Georgia regulators had evidence he was operating without a license, in violation of state law.
?쁒eeks of a slush fund?? Solicitor?셲 checking account raises questions
The Cherokee County Solicitor General’s office has been diverting defense fees for years into a special checking account to buy cakes, office chairs, iPads and more, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has learned.
Metro county used defendants??fees for cakes, flowers and iPads
“To me it certainly reeks of a slush fund.” That’s what one accounting expert told me when I explained the unorthodox way the Cherokee County solicitor general’s office does business.
Lawmakers rack up more than $500,000 on lobbyists??tab during session
Lobbyists reported spending more than half a million dollars on dinners, receptions and various other gifts for public officials during the first quarter of this year.
5 tips for winning property tax appeals
Check for errors in the county’s information on your home, including its square footage, number of stories, condition and other characteristics.
FAQs on Georgia property assessments
How did the county come up with the assessed value? By law, the assessed value is 40% of property fair market value, which is defined as the amount a knowledgeable buyer would pay for the property and a willing seller would accept for it in an arm’s length, bona fide sale.
Lobbyists fatten Ga. officials with steak, wine and a $24 hat
The Era of Ethics Reform is over ??at least at the Georgia General Assembly.For the first time in five years, state lawmakers and their longtime lobbyist companions ate enough, drank enough and traveled enough to increase total spending on reported gifts.
Atlanta?셲 Catholic leader hasn?셳 posted names of pedophile priests
Concerned that some victims of sexual abuse by clerics still may not have come forward, advocates have been pressing Atlanta?셲 Catholic leader to post the names of accused child predators on the archdiocese website.
Marietta mayor supports pension reform: It?셲 not ?쁫et them eat cake??
The politicians in Marietta knew how it looked when they agreed Wednesday to ask the city’s pension board to review the pension plan for city employees.
VA builds $850,000 fence to help prevent veteran suicides
Drive past the Atlanta VA Medical Center on Clairmont Road and you may notice a curious new feature that stands as a stark reminder of the struggles too many veterans face.
?쁗e?셱e not dirtbags?? Marietta to review ?쁲hameful??pension plan
After a week of intense criticism, the Marietta City Council is reexamining a provision in the city?셲 pension plan that denies benefits for the widows and children of employees who die while still employed.
Can prosecutors be fair in police shooting cases?
Caroline Small has been dead nearly six years, but her tragic killing at the hands of Glynn County police loomed over the Capitol last week in a contentious debate that went to the heart of how such cases are handled.
Can prosecutors be fair in police shooting cases?
Caroline Small has been dead nearly six years, but her tragic killing at the hands of Glynn County police loomed over the Capitol last week in a contentious debate that went to the heart of how such cases are handled.
Marietta denies widow her dead husband?셲 pension, adds to her grief
Hal and Janet Cosper were on their way to work in their garden last July, when Hal told his wife to go ahead and he would be along shortly.
?쁈 never said it was fair?? Marietta pockets widow?셲 pension
Last July, Hal Cosper died suddenly of a heart attack at 66, leaving behind Janet, his wife of 31 years, just as the two were preparing for life in retirement.
Set aside ?쁦ndividual agendas??in rape evidence fight, Ga. Speaker says
State Sen. Rene Unterman doubled down Wednesday on her opposition to a bill that would require untested DNA evidence in sexual assault cases to be sent to state forensic labs, even as Georgia House Speaker David Ralston ratcheted up pressure by weighing in to support the stalled bill.
Police grand jury bill passes Senate hurdle
A proposal to curtail Georgia police officers??ability to influence grand jurors in police shooting cases passed a critical state Senate committee vote on Tuesday.
Special prosecutor for police shootings faces DA opposition
A proposal to require a special prosecutor appointment in fatal police shooting cases ran into stiff resistance Monday from Georgia’s district attorneys and top law enforcement officials who turned out in force before a Senate committee to voice opposition.
Special prosecutor urged for police shooting cases
A proposal to change who prosecutes fatal police shooting cases in Georgia is headed to a state Senate committee Monday where police and prosecutors are expected to strongly oppose the plan.
VA official apologizes for healthcare backlog
In 2014, senior VA officials who managed the enrollment of veterans for healthcare benefits misled the public about a backlog of veterans who were unable to get their healthcare applications approved.
Bill that would count neglected rape evidence in trouble in Ga. Senate
A bill that would require police to find and count neglected sexual assault evidence that has the overwhelming support of state law enforcement is in danger because a key state senator has declined to schedule a hearing on the proposal.
How theft ring stole millions of drugs from Emory
The criminal drug scheme that ran from Emory University Hospital Midtown?셲 pharmacy was the biggest that state investigators had ever seen at a hospital.
Fixes aim to salvage Georgia food stamp program
This is a story of redemption, but it starts with the dumpster fire that has been Georgia?셲 food stamp program.
Second chance for criminals, closed files for public
In the volatile, crime-saturated year of 1968, lawmakers took a bold step to reform Georgia?셲 justice system.
Police officer who shot Caroline Small has died
One of the two police officers at the center of a controversial 2010 shooting death of a South Georgia mother has died after a bout with brain cancer, according to local media reports.
Family secrets emerge after fatal fire
One cold day last month, television news cameras captured the very public grief of a Gwinnett County man who lost his wife and daughters in an intense house fire.
Winslow settles fourth ethics infraction with $3K fine
Atlanta City Councilwoman Cleta Winslow, who funneled taxpayer dollars into her last three re-election campaigns, has paid a $3,000 fine to settle the latest ethics case against her.
Did Dem. lawmaker hide payments paid by Michelle Nunn campaign?
Georgia House Democratic Leader Stacey Abrams said there was no attempt to hide from the public $30,000 in consulting fees she received from Michelle Nunn’s senate campaign in 2013.
Did Democratic leader hide payments paid by Michelle Nunn campaign?
State Rep. Stacey Abrams wears a lot hats.She is leader of the House Democratic Caucus and directed a large and well-funded voter registration effort.
AJC Watchdog: Knock, knock ??more subpoenas in DeKalb
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners has received so many subpoenas over the past several years you would think they would build a separate entrance for process servers.
Cleta Winslow accused of tapping taxpayers for campaign ??again
For the fourth time, Atlanta City Councilwoman Cleta Winslow stands accused of tapping taxpayer money to fund a re-election campaign.
Repeat ethics violator can settle latest case for $3K
Atlanta City Councilwoman Cleta Winslow, a repeat violator of the city?셲 ethics ordinance, can settle another round of alleged infractions with a $3,000 fine.
AJC Watchdog: House speaker wants light on Georgia?셲 secret political spending
Jack Staver is one of a growing number of organized activists at the State Capitol who are influencing public policy, but odds are you’ve never heard of him.
Cruz makes a partial point about Supreme Court and election years
Republicans running for president say President Barack Obama should let the next president nominate someone to replace U.
Georgia traffic courts taking a bite out of tax refunds
Georgia courts have a new tool for collecting cash: taking a bite out of your tax refund. A state law enacted in 2014 allows courts to intercept the state income tax refunds of people who haven’t paid traffic tickets or other court fines.
My afternoon with Justice Scalia
News of Antonin Scalia’s sudden death transported me back to a memorable afternoon I spent with him in the quiet solitude of his chambers at the Supreme Court.
Georgia police agencies lose millions in Congress budget move
Georgia law enforcement agencies and others across the country may drop out of anti-drug and terrorism task forces and are scaling back spending after Congress raided a stash of federal funds that has given this state more than $200 million in recent years.
Grand juror: Reopen Caroline Small police shooting
A Glynn County grand juror has formally asked for the Caroline Small police shooting case to be re-opened, calling the way it was handled by Brunswick District Attorney Jackie Johnson in 2011 a stain on the “reputation and credibility” of her office.
Millionaire accused of Ponzi scheme battled regulators, foes for years
Ask Jim Torchia about being sued by the federal government, or his never-ending legal brawls with former friends and business associates, and he answers with a clenched jaw.
Law would curb police grand jury privileges in Ga.
Georgia police officers who face possible criminal charges in shooting cases would lose some of their unique legal privileges under a proposal to be debated at the State Capitol on Friday.
?쁆aps??led to children?셲 deaths, DFCS admits
For the first time, Georgia’s child-protection agency is acknowledging that “significant gaps” in its performance have contributed to the deaths of children under its supervision.
City ousts police chief accused of cover-up in teen shooting
Union City forced out its embattled police chief, but city officials tried to keep his involuntary departure hush-hush last month amid allegations he helped cover up a 2011 fatal shooting by one of his officers.
Georgia child abuse investigations to become more rigorous
Georgia’s child protection agency already had investigated four reports alleging abuse of a little girl named Emani Moss.
Georgia?셲 list of highest-paid employees includes Adams, three making $1 million
Michael Adams hasn’t been president of the University of Georgia for 2 1/2 years, but he still showed up on a list of top 10 highest-paid university system employees in 2015.
Lawmaker withdraws bills after fallout from Klan comments
State Rep. Tommy Benton, R-Jefferson, Monday pulled his name from three pieces of controversial legislation after his comments about slavery, the Ku Klux Klan and the Civil War drew national attention.
Deaths show breakdown in services for disabled Georgians
By age 45, she had spent 43 years in Central State Hospital – confined for life, it seemed, in Georgia’s most infamous psychiatric institution.
State lawmaker?셲 Klan comments rebuked by colleagues, critics
Some of state Rep. Tommy Benton’s Republican colleagues Friday sought to distance themselves from his controversial comments about the Ku Klux Klan and slavery, while Democratic activists called on House Speaker David Ralston to strip him of his chairmanship.
Warnings missed for years in case of doctor accused in drug deaths
Long before he was dubbed “Dr. Death,” Jonesboro psychiatrist Narendra Nagareddy was known across metro Atlanta’s southside as the go-to physician for prescription drug addicts.
How drug warnings slipped by in the 'Dr. Death' case
Long before he was dubbed “Dr. Death,” Jonesboro psychiatrist Narendra Nagareddy was known across metro Atlanta’s southside as the go-to physician for prescription drug addicts.
Top Ga. lawmaker criticized for Klan comments
A state lawmaker’s take on Civil War history and rise of the Ku Klux Klan has been met with condemnation from Democrats and calls for House Speaker David Ralston to discipline him.
Gunfight between trooper, suspect leaves one dead, closes I-75
The man in the pickup truck was driving 98 mph southbound on I-75 near Kennesaw, the State Patrol said.
Atlanta almost had a Cam Newton Drive, but neighbors hated the idea
How much does Atlanta fear and loathe Cam Newton? Enough to keep his name off the city?셲 road maps.It was a stark episode in the metro area?셲 prickly relationship with a native son.
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