DeKalb CEO accused of trying to extort vendors

DECATUR - A DeKalb County grand jury has indicted county CEO Burrell Ellis on charges including attempted extortion, conspiracy and theft after prosecutors say he threatened to withhold county business from companies that didn't contribute to his campaign.

The 15-count indictment handed down Tuesday accuses Ellis of instructing the county's director of purchasing and contracting to prevent certain companies from getting company business because they didn't respond to his solicitations and didn't contribute to his campaign.

The indictment also says Ellis had county workers compiling lists during working hours of companies that had county contracts so he could solicit campaign contributions from those companies.

Authorities had raided Ellis' Stone Mountain home in January while he was testifying before a grand jury investigating county watershed operations.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2013/6/262682