Bill Campbell (mayor)
Bill Campbell (William Craig Campbell)[1] (born 1953 in Raleigh, North Carolina), is a former American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and served as the 57th Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., from 1994 to 2002. Campbell was the fifty-seventh mayor in the city's history and the third African American to hold the office. In 1960, a seven-year-old Bill Campbell was the first black student to attend an all-white school in Raleigh, North Carolina. He attended William G. Enloe High School. He is the younger brother of former North Carolina State Auditor Ralph Campbell. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity.
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[edit] Mayor of Atlanta
Heartily endorsed by his predecessor, Maynard Jackson, to take the reins in the 1993 election, Campbell subsequently fell into disfavor during his second term, despite defeating then-president of the Atlanta City Council, Marvin S. Arrington, Sr.. The 1997 race was known for its emphasis on the racial overtones often not publicly seen in the African-American community, with Campbell being the lighter-skinned candidate and Arrington the darker complexioned.[2] Campbell would later be criticized for deploying anti-Black racist messaging in an attempt to deflect criticism of his record as mayor.[3] Campbell was succeeded by Shirley Franklin. Following his tenure as mayor, he moved to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, where he worked as a practicing attorney. He was disbarred by order of the Supreme Court of Florida as a result of his tax evasion conviction.[1]
[edit] Failure of Atlanta Empowerment Zone
In November 1994, the Atlanta Empowerment Zone was established, a 10-year, $250 million federal program to revitalize Atlanta's 34 poorest neighborhoods including the Bluff. Scathing reports from both the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs revealed corruption, waste, bureaucratic incompetence, and specifically called out interference by mayor Campbell.[4][5]
[edit] Tax evasion conviction
In August 2004 Campbell retained high profile lawyer Billy Martin to defend an indictment by a federal grand jury on racketeering, bribery and wire fraud charges after a five-year federal investigation into corruption during his years as mayor of Atlanta. Campbell was acquitted of the racketeering, bribery and wire fraud charges. On March 10, 2006, a federal jury convicted him on three counts of tax evasion.[6] On June 13, 2006, he was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard Story to 30 months in prison on charges of tax evasion[6] and also ordered to serve a year on probation, pay a $6,000 fine, and pay more than $60,000 in back taxes.[citation needed] He reported to prison in Miami, Florida, on August 21, 2006,[6] after having several attempts to remain out on appeal bond denied by the court.[citation needed]
Campbell was released from prison and a halfway house on October 24, 2008.[6]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Florida Bar
- ^ Atlanta Mayor Wins Runoff and 2d Term - New York Times
- ^ CNN.com - Embattled Atlanta mayor raises racial tension - October 9, 2000
- ^ "Empowerment zones: Boondoggle or aid to poor?", Atlanta Business Chronicle, November 6, 2000
- ^ Scott Henry, "Federal grants go to groups with shaky past", Creative Loafing, September 26, 2007
- ^ a b c d http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2008/10/24/1024mayor.html
[edit] External links
- U.S. Attorney's Press Release RE: Indictment
- Ten page indictment summary
- U.S. Attorney's Press Release RE: Conviction
- U.S. Attorney's Press Release RE: Sentence
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Maynard Jackson |
Mayor of Atlanta January 1994 – January 2002 |
Succeeded by Shirley Franklin |
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