'Concerning': Ex-Biden official under fire as pay-to-play allegations emerge in top gubernatorial race
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat running for governor in Georgia, has faced ethics-related scrutiny during her time in government, but that hasn't stopped Bottoms' ambition for higher...
By Fox News · Fox News
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat running for governor in Georgia, has faced ethics-related scrutiny during her time in government, but that hasn't stopped Bottoms' ambition for higher office. Before launching her gubernatorial bid, Bottoms drew criticism in Atlanta over her use of public resources while serving in city government — from taxpayer-funded mailers packed with photos of herself to city-paid travel expenses that initially covered her husband’s Super Bowl airfare. Bottoms also drew criticism over her ties to a contractor that later landed lucrative city contracts after she signed an initial consulting contract with the firm while leading the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority (AFCRA) and just days before leaving the city council as she was preparing to become mayor, with the company’s CEO later donating to and fundraising for her campaign. Even with Atlanta's history of corruption scandals, former Atlanta City Council leader Jennifer Ide, who served as the head of a city council ethics committee while Bottoms was mayor, said the Democratic gubernatorial hopeful's past scandals, in particular her alleged pay-to-play scheme with a contractor, should be "concerning" for voters. NYC DEM, HOCHUL AIDE UNDER INVESTIGATION OVER ALLEGED MIGRANT SHELTER BRIBES "I mean, I think it's concerning," Ide told Fox News Digital. "I don't think that the voters want to feel like special interests impact the outcome of an election." As executive director of AFCRA, a position she held that earned her a six-figure salary even while also serving on the city council and running for mayor, Bottoms signed the first of three contracts for a company called Con-Real to do work for the city. The first contract, awarded in April 2017, was less than $100,000, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Just days later, she exited office as her mayoral run was heating up. Meanwhile, in June 2017, roughly two months later, Con-Real won a second $2.4 million…