SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — Thousands of dollars for international flights, high-end electronics, and other items all bought with taxpayer dollars.
“I thought it was very problematic, it’s a major issue when you’re dealing with taxpayer money,” City of South Fulton homeowner Patricia Wise said.
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City of South Fulton taxpayers are calling for an investigation into Mayor Khalid Kamau, now known as Mayor Kobi, and his P-card purchases.
“Is this money well spent for you?” Channel 2′s Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln asked Wise.
“Absolutely not,” Wise responded.
New documents reveal the mayor spent more than $1,800 for a table for his office, that converts into a pool table.
“The city manager is the person that’s supposed to be signing off and approving all transactions regarding all P-card, the city manager,” Councilwoman Helen Willis told councilmembers during a Jan. 14 council meeting,
According to policy, the mayor is not allotted to exceed $10,000 in one month.
In September, he spent more than $9,000 on travel, including multiple flight upgrades. Statements from June 2024 expenses show the mayor purchased two plane tickets totaling more than $1,000 for a trip to Paris. Documents indicate he was accompanied by his chief of staff on the Paris trip.
Willis told Lincoln, the mayor does not have authorization to take employees on domestic or international trips.
“Our travel policy does not allow us to upgrade seats and there are multiple upgrades,” Willis said.
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Statements show October was the mayor’s most expensive month, having spent more than $13,000. The most expensive purchase included two Ethiopian Airlines tickets totaling $2,343 for the mayor and another person named Danielle.
“It’s raised a whole lot of alarms over here,” Wise said.
Last week the mayor told Lincoln this criticism was politically motivated.
After Channel 2 Action News story last week, Mayor Kobi agreed to do a sit-down interview with Lincoln. On Monday, he cancelled. He says he plans to address these allegations during Tuesday’s council meeting.
However last week, the mayor attempted to explain his side during a board meeting.
“I had a whole presentation that I was going to give, I’m not going to do it now,” Kobi told the council.
He told the board because of the meeting length they ran out of time to discuss his travel.
“There’s been a lot of conversation, a lot of uses of my name and my trip, I tried to explain it but I spent an hour letting everyone else talk,” Kobi said.
“You can be elected into the office and spend the taxpayer dollars as you choose with no repercussions,” South Fulton homeowner Krystal Price said.
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Other council members during that meeting also stated they misused their P-cards because there’s been confusion with the city’s charter.
Willis says the mayor has violated the city’s charter, P-card, and travel policy, by not getting approval for multiple purchases but also purchasing items that are not approved for spending.
According to the city’s P-card policy, employees are required to obtain written authorization from the purchasing director and city manager. Willis says the mayor did not do that for these purchases. The policy also indicates individual meals and beverages not associated with approved travel and electronics are prohibited purchases.
“It’s really a smear campaign, you will see in the meetings the people who are talking the most are running for mayor in 2025,” Kobi said.
Kobi would not answer why he hasn’t submitted 112 outstanding receipts for multiple purchases. City of South Fulton policy states receipts must be submitted within 72 hours after a purchase.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to the Fulton County District Attorney’s office to see if it’s investigating this matter. A spokesperson said it can’t comment at this time.
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