It was frigidly cold and windy in Atlanta on the morning of February 17, 2025. Despite the miserable weather, friends and supporters of Atlanta’s Inspector General, Shannon Manigault, gathered on the front steps of City Hall to speak out. That day, the City Council would vote on a bill that ultimately stripped the Office of Inspector General of much of its power. In the leadup to the vote, members of City leadership had engaged in an aggressive media campaign to discredit the Office and its work.

James Radford and the law firm of Radford Scott LLP were appointed by OIG’s Board as independent counsel due to a conflict of interest with the City Attorneys’ Office, who had publicly accused OIG of issuing improper financial subpoenas. We were proud to defend Ms. Manigault and her office, which we determined had operated within the law in diligently investigating claims of fraud, waste, and abuse in City government.

James Radford was invited to open the press conference. His remarks and those of Ms. Manigault are highlighted here.