An Atlanta Municipal Court Judge is accused of using public funds to pay for lavish gifts, luxurious stationary and a party for former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.
Embattled Judge Terrinee Gundy was appointed to the bench by Reed, who is rumored to be her former lover.
According to a report on the AJC.com website, Gundy spent $4,156 on stationary, including gold-seal letterhead, as well three glass “flame of excellence” sculptures for her courtroom. The sculptures alone cost $1,800.
One glass sculpture was engraved: “Mayor Kasim Reed, Flame of Excellence” in honor of Reed for his 2017 Masked Ball, an annual black tie affair that was invite-only for Atlanta’s elite tastemakers.
Gundy, who apparently helped to organize the 2017 Mayor’s Masked Ball, spent $2,588 on 400 custom invites to the after-party, which were handed out to the guests at the Mayor’s Masked Ball.
The judge’s personal assistant ordered the invites. “Judge Gundy would like to know if you all printed event tickets. We need them on the fancier side, as it’s for a city event,” the assistant wrote in an email dated Oct. 30.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Channel 2 Action News obtained the spending reports through a Georgia Open Records Act request.
The spending documents reviewed by Channel 2 and the AJC show that neither Gundy nor any member of her staff sought approval for any of the purchases.
Judge Terrinee is already under investigation for frequently canceling court sessions and showing up late to court.
Mary Hooks, who works with the defendants’ advocacy group Southerners On New Ground, tells Channel 2 Action News the defendants, most of whom are poor, mentally ill, or homeless, end up staying in jail until court can be rescheduled.
Judge Gundy is a well-known Atlanta socialite who is a fixture at music industry parties. She is the ex-wife of music producer Kevin “She’kspere” Briggs (who co-wrote Destiny’s Child’s hit song “Bills, Bills, Bills”).
Reed is under investigation for allegedly using the city’s funds as his personal piggy bank to enrich friends and staff.
