County vendors may be required to disclose pending litigation

DeKalb County commissioners are considering a resolution that will make it mandatory for DeKalb County vendors to disclose any pending ligation or violations in which the vendors are involved.

Super District 7 Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson introduced the resolution — which a county spokesperson said was designed to establish a business code of conduct between the county and its vendors. If approved, the resolution “will make it mandatory for vendors and contractors to report any pending litigation or violations of federal, state and municipal laws, as well as any material changes in their corporate structure within 14 days of the change.”

The resolution was drafted following reports of pending litigations against DeKalb County contractors such as Shelitha Robertson of The Renee Group. The Renee Group has completed sewer and water projects in DeKalb County for several years. However, Robertson—The Renee Group’s CEO—was accused of stealing millions of dollars in taxpayer money through a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) scheme during the pandemic.

Robertson was indicted by United States Attorney’s Office Northern District of Georgia. She was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering for allegedly “fraudulently [obtaining] over $7 million in PPP loan funds, which was not used for payroll or other permitted business expenses. Robertson allegedly used loan proceeds to purchase luxury items, including a Rolls Royce, a motorcycle, and jewelry, and to transfer funds to family members and co-conspirators,” according to a news release.

A spokesperson said officials from DeKalb County first learned about the allegations against Robertson through local media outlets, prompting Cochran-Johnson to draft and present the resolution.

Chandra Norton, the founder of CamKen Consulting, which also vended for DeKalb County in the past—was also charged with a PPP scheme in 2020.

The policy presented by Cochran-Johnson “is designed to make effective governance possible by enforcing a responsible procurement policy to ensure the DeKalb Governing Authority is fully aware of matters involving contractors.”

“One of the fundamental responsibilities of the DeKalb Governing Authority is to award essential contracts to provide needed goods and services,” added Cochran-Johnson. “As the governing authority, we must actively seek to prevent improper business practices and personal conflicts of interests in contracting, and provide safeguards for the maintenance of procurement integrity, public trust and equity in the purchasing process. This resolution seeks to ensure we do not learn of pending litigation and changes in the corporate structure of contractors and vendors on the news or in a newspaper article.”

The new code of conduct will become part of the DeKalb County Procurement Policy if passed by the Board of Commissioners. The board referred the resolution to a committee on April 11.

The policy would require all companies seeking to do business with DeKalb County to receive a business code of conduct form that must be read, signed, dated, and returned to the county as a part of the vendor application process. A news release states that businesses that fail to sign the document will not be approved as vendors, while existing vendors will be required to sign the business code of conduct or have their approved status revoked until the document has been received.

The resolution states that contractors facing a federal, state, or municipal lawsuit must report such litigation in writing within 10 days to DeKalb County and must report corporate restricting within 14 days. It also states that failure to provide such notice may result in the termination of all contracts and permanent revocation as a vendor with DeKalb County.

“My only goal is good policy and full disclosure by vendors, so the county can monitor outcomes and make necessary decisions with full knowledge,” said Cochran-Johnson

To view the Mandatory Vendor Reporting Resolution, visit: commissionerlorrainecochranjohnson.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/4.10.23-Mandatory-Vendor-Disclosure-Resolution-Adverse-Action-Notice_.pdf.