Ethics Board: Franklin spent campaign funds on limo company, nail shop, Pirouette

Gasoline, fast food, restaurants allegedly went unreported

Clayton County District 3 Commissioner Felicia Franklin allegedly failed to report 61 expenditures to herself, Pirouette Companies, her commission aide, a limousine company, Whole Foods, gasoline, Walmart, Costco, Bling Bling Nail Spa, Metro PCS, Krispy Kreme, Buc-ee’s, Papi’s Stockbridge, La Feria de Michoacan, McDonalds, and Hapeville Corner Tavern—among other recipients—totaling $16,809.41 “from February 18, 2020. to the present.”

Franklin also allegedly failed to report her real estate interests and allegedly accepted $3,950 in unreported campaign donations in January 2020, according to a complaint pending before the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission (now known as the State Ethics Commission).

In addition, according to the December 20, 2022 complaint obtained by The Clayton Crescent through an Open Records Request, Franklin failed to file seven Campaign Contribution Disclosure Reports.

Just before today’s quarterly meeting of the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission (formerly and soon once again to be known as the State Ethics Commission), The Clayton Crescent learned that Franklin’s preliminary hearing would be continued until the next meeting in June.

Both Deputy Executive Secretary and General Counsel Joe Cusack and Executive Secretary David Emadi said that Franklin “has obtained counsel.” According to Cusack, the commission had been notified Sunday night and that attorney Kathryn Powers had represented Franklin.

Powers confirmed that she had represented Franklin “for the purposes of a continuance” but did not say whether she would represent Franklin beyond that.

Although Franklin’s case has been continued, it’s not uncommon for someone who has a case pending before the commission to come to an agreement, which might include payment of a fine, repayment of any campaign contributions that the commission finds improper, filing outstanding paperwork, or any combination of those factors.

According to campaign finance disclosure paperwork Franklin filed with the county in 2022 and covering the year 2021, she made $31,000 from Clayton County; held fiduciary responsibility as a board member of The ATL Transit Link Authority; held no direct ownership interests in any business entity; her then-spouse held no ownership interests with a fair market value in excess of $5,000; and that she was self-employed in the insurance industry.

Complaint filed October 5

The commission initiated on October 5, 2o22, well within the five-year statute of limitations for Franklin’s February 12, 2020 Declaration of Intent to run for re-election to the BOC.

Every year, candidates and elected officials must file a Personal Financial Disclosure (PFD), “so that the electorate will have the opportunity to identify potential self-dealing in the official’s/candidate’s public acts” under Georgia law.

However, according to the complaint, Franklin did not file her 2021 PFD, which would cover 2020.

The complaint also alleges that Franklin “failed to disclose her interest in real property” of $5,000 or more during 2020 and 2021.

Here is the second amended complaint, which details each alleged violation and expenditure:

What the law says

Local candidates (meaning municipal and county candidates) also are required by Georgia law to report contributions or expenditures totaling more than $2,500. Those contributions and expenditures must be reported on a Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report (CCDR). According to the complaint, Franklin filed an Affidavit of Exemption on February 9, 2019, stating she had not met the $2,500 limit, but “accepted $3,950 in unreported contributions during January of 2020, which is also her election year, and thus should have filed Campaign Contribution Disclosure Reports…which would have informed the public of this activity.”

The commission said Franklin failed to file CCDRs on:

• January 21, 2020
• June 30, 2020
• September 30, 2020
• October 25, 2020
• December 31, 2020
• June 30, 2021
• December 31, 2021

Campaign contributions shall only be used “to defray ordinary and necessary expenses incurred in connection with such candidate’s campaign for elective office or such public officer’s fulfillment or retention of such office,” under state law.

What’s more, state law forbids candidates or elected officials spending campaign funds and any interest on those funds on personal expenses.

List of expenditures

But the commission alleges that Franklin racked up $16,809.41 in undisclosed spending that it said was neither “necessary” nor “ordinary”:

• February 18, 2020: Overland Food Beverage $284.90
• February 25, 2020: Felicia Franklin Warner, $2,655
• February 27, 2020: BP #8985657CLIPPER #57, $37.69
• March 17, 2020: Felicia Franklin Warner, $3,857
• March 20, 2020: Felicia Franklin Warner, $1,400
• April 9, 2020: Felicia Franklin Warner, $3,200
• April 20, 2020: Chevron, $35.94
• April 23, 2020: Kroger Fuel, $29.01
• May 6, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $100
• May 11, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $650
• May 12, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $140
• May 12, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $90
• May 18, 2020: Kroger Fuel, $24.93
• May 18, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $15
• May 20, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $400
• May 21, 2020: Kroger Fuel, $32.76
• May 22, 2020: Whole Foods, $133.36
• May 26, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $165
• May 26, 2020: Chevron, $32.34
• May 28, 2020: ZOOM US, $54.99
• May 29, 2020: McDonalds, $4.69
• June 1, 2020: Chevron, $32.33
• June 9, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $50
• June 10, 2020: DD BR, $58.76
• June 11, 2020: BP, $15.64
• June 11, 2020: Shell Oil, $32.61
• June 12, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $20
• June 12, 2020: Cash App, $75
• June 15, 2020: Papi’s Stockbridge, $21.78
• June 17, 2020: Wal-Mart, $109.09
• June 19, 2020: La Feria de Michoacan, $4.20
• June 22, 2020: Hapeville Corner Tavern, $108.38
• June 22, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $500
• June 22, 2020: ExxonMobil, $28.30
• June 22, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $100
• June 22, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $100
• June 22, 2020: Buc-ee’s, $84.96
• June 23, 2020: Shell Service Station, $38.97
• June 24, 2020: Metro PCS, $500.49
• June 26, 2020: ZOOM US, $54.99
• June 30, 2020: Kroger Fuel, $35.75
• July 6, 2020: Lee Limousine, $240
• July 7, 2020: Cash App, $80
• July 9, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $89
• July 13, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $90
• July 17, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $100
• July 21, 2020, Tavern on 74 Grinds, $38.10
• July 24, 2020: Krispy Kreme, $6.41
• July 28, 2020: ZOOM US, $54.99
• July 29, 2020: Cash App Felicia AD, $80
• August 28, 2020: ZOOM US, $54.99
• August 31, 2020: Marathon Petro20, $33.48
• September 2, 2020: Shell Service Station, $13.45
• September 11, 2020: Marathon Petro, $36.25
• September 21, 2020: Shell Oil, $18.25
• September 28, 2020: ZOOM US, $54.99
• October 19, 2020: Costco Warehouse, $415.67
• October 28, 2020: ZOOM US, $54.99
• November 27, 2020: Bling Bling Nail Spa, $25
• November 30, 2020: ZOOM US, $54.99
• December 28, 2020: ZOOM US, $54.99

The complaint also alleged that Franklin failed to disclose payments to the following people or entities. While it’s possible some or all were legitimate campaign expenses, the payments were not reported as required by state law:

Pirouette Companies

• April 29, 2020: $1,750
• May 22, 2020: $643
• May, 22, 2020: $200
• May 29, 2022: $1,506

Shaheen SO

• May 11, 2020: $2,380
• July 15, 2020: $100
• July 24, 2020: $125

Michael D

• April 29, 2020: $1,200
• June 15, 2020: 200
• July 3, 2020: $100

Jeneveri C

• July 3, 2020: $65
• July 16, 2020: $575

Lartesha C

• April 28, 2020: $500
• June 15, 2020: $100
• July 13, 2020: $20

Cash App Patricia L

• May 7, 2020: $105

Cash App Kayla Coll

• May 11, 2020: $120

Terri Mari

• May 28, 2020: $150

Antoinette

• June 15, 2020: $150

Shaheen Solomon was Franklin’s campaign committee chair on January 29, 2020; by February 12, he had been replaced by Alga Franklin, the commissioner’s late mother. Kayla Collier is Franklin’s constituent aide. Jeneveri Curtis owns a hair weave business that Franklin and her children have patronized. Lartesha Chaney thanked Franklin on June 3, 2020 in a Facebook post for an order of 900 face masks, at least some of which appeared to be for Clayton County Fire and Emergency Services; Chaney also supplied Franklin with custom masks:

The Clayton Crescent previously reported that, on July 8, 2020, Franklin’s CCDR showed a March 9 $1,000 payment from then-Sheriff Victor Hill, whose occupation was listed as “Business” and whose address was listed as 9157 Tara Blvd., which is the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office. Five days before that payment to Franklin, Hill had filed a CCDR showing a $1,000 payment to Franklin on March 10. Also on March 1o, Hill reported a $20,000 payment to Pirouette Companies, which is owned by former CCSO Chief of Staff Mitzi Bickers’ wife, Keyla Jackson. Federal prosecutors later showed that Bickers used Pirouette’s account to move funds she received from contractors in the Atlanta bid-rigging case. Hill listed both payments as “campaign” expenses, and listed Franklin, Pirouette Companies, and his sushi hangout, Tomo Japanese, as sharing the same address at 1111 Smith Street in Atlanta. The Clayton Crescent was unable to find a location with that address, either in person or in Fulton County tax records.

Franklin also held a real estate license from 2018 to 2022, according to the Georgia Real Estate Commission’s online license lookup portal:

We’ve asked a State Ethics Commission spokesperson whether the real estate interests that Franklin allegedly failed to report were personal or business-related.

We’ve also asked Franklin for her comment on the State Ethics Board allegations. Should she respond, we will update this story.

In a separate matter, Franklin’s travel expenses and reimbursements have come under scrutiny in an audit of spending by Clayton County commissioners and department heads released by Mauldin and Jenkins.