Companies tied to Macon mayoral candidate Cliffard Whitby under GBI investigation

State authorities are investigating three companies with ties to a Macon mayoral candidate for allegedly accepting payments from the Macon industrial authority for work that was never completed.

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s office asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to examine three companies owned by relatives of Cliffard Whitby, who was the chairman of Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority from 2008-2017 and executive director from 2015-17.

The case was sent to the attorney general’s office by Macon Judicial Circuit Attorney David Cooke, who notified Carr that he was “disqualified” to pursue the investigation.

Whitby resigned from the industrial authority in August 2017 after a federal indictment charged him with multiple counts of conspiracy and bribery. Whitby was acquitted of those charges in October 2018.

Georgia’s Deputy Attorney General Blair McGowan sent a letter to GBI Director Vic Reynolds, requesting that GBI open an investigation involving Whitby and three companies.

“I am writing to request that the Georgia Bureau of Investigation open an investigation into possible theft, forgery and false statements involving former chairman/executive director of the Macon Bibb County Industrial Authority, Cliffard Whitby, and three companies owned by Whitby’s family members: Armstead Management, Integrated Technology Consulting and New Age Concepts and Consulting,” McGowan wrote.

Whitby is a candidate for Macon-Bibb County Mayor in the upcoming election on June 9.

The GBI news release did not mention Whitby as part of the investigation.

“Through this investigation, if we develop enough evidence and probable cause to charge an individual, at that time, I will release a name,” GBI Special Agent in Charge Todd Crosby said. “We just started this investigation.”

Crosby said the GBI is investigating the allegations now because the attorney general’s office requested the investigation. By state law, the GBI only investigates allegations if they are requested to do so. The attorney general’s office provided the GBI with an FBI case file begun in 2017, Crosby said.

The Telegraph has asked the attorney general why an investigation was requested in March, three years after the initial investigation began. Officials at the attorney general’s office said they could only confirm that the request was made March 2, and they could not comment further on an active investigation.

Whitby responds

Whitby responded to the GBI’s investigation by calling it a “politically motivated attack,” adding he was “fully vindicated” of unrelated federal bribery charges in 2018.

“... I and my family are pleased to have gone through the judicial process of these United States, had all of the evidence presented and come out fully vindicated,” his statement read, in part. “Anyone who ever attempts to do anything of substance will always have enemies. In this current political environment, it does not surprise me that after three years some would choose to bring up these old allegations at the Industrial Authority that were fully reviewed previously.

“To be brief, I stand on the work and achievements that were made under my leadership while at the Industrial Authority. I trust that the citizens of Macon-Bibb can see this for what it is - a politically motivated attack.”

The allegations at the MBCIA

Macon’s industrial authority was going through its annual audit in 2017 when Whitby resigned. The audit revealed in December 2017 that Whitby had violated government ethics codes because he did not disclose that his relatives were officers in companies doing business with the authority, according to the audit report.

Whitby’s daughter was an officer of New Age Concepts and Consulting, and his brother-in-law was an officer of Armstead Management. It was recommended that the industrial authority review its vetting process as well as the more than $2.5 million in payments made to the two companies.

The audit report also revealed that Armstead Management submitted two of the same invoices which were paid by the authority in the amount of about $77,000. The money was repaid.

During the review of the work paid for by the authority, auditors found that Armstead Management, New Age Concepts and Consulting and W.M. Construction were paid nearly $2 million for work the companies didn’t do or complete. Most of the work was supposed to be completed at the Allied Industrial Park in Macon. The review was performed by Warren Associates, a Macon-based general contractor.

The MBCIA sent letters to the companies on April 2, 2018 demanding they repay the authority.

Whitby’s brother-in-law, Tyrone Lewis, was the person at Armstead Management to whom the letter was sent. He was also involved in Integrated Technology Consulting, according to Telegraph archives.

William “Chip” Collins Jr. , an Atlanta attorney representing the companies, responded to the authority’s letter on May 21, 2018 saying that the companies would not repay the money.

This story was originally published May 14, 2020 at 6:43 PM.