Mayor Reed under investigation for election day video

ATLANTA — The Georgia Secretary of State’s Office just opened an investigation into Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed’s actions on election day.

Sources told only Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Aaron Diamant that the investigation started after a complaint about a video posted on Reed's Instagram and Facebook accounts.

The video, which appears to be filmed outside Fickett Elementary School on Rux Road, showed Reed, his wife and his daughter.

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In the video, the Reed family urges people to vote and announces that they voted for Keisha Lance Bottoms.

“I’m Mayor Kasim Reed, here in Southwest Atlanta at Fickett Elementary School. And my wife, Sarah-Elisabeth, and my daughter, Maria Kristan, and I, we just voted for the next mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms,” Reed says in the video.

According to Georgia law: “No person shall solicit votes in any manner or by any means or method on any day in which ballots are being cast within 150 feet of the outer edge of any building within which a polling place is established.”

The video on Reed’s accounts seems to show Reed and his family within that 150-foot limit.

Keisha Lance Bottoms ended up garnering the most votes in the mayoral race, and is now in a runoff with candidate Mary Norwood.

In a written statement, a Secretary of State spokesperson told Channel 2 Action News: "We received a complaint yesterday regarding statements that Mayor Reed allegedly made at his polling place. We review every complaint that we receive, and we have opened a State Election Board investigation into the matter. We cannot say anything further about this pending investigation at this time."

A violation of the 150-foot rule would be a misdemeanor.

As soon as Channel 2 Action News confirmed the investigation, we immediately contacted the mayor's office for comment.

A spokesperson sent Channel 2 Action News the following statement: “This purported news story is nonsense. It is nothing more than an attempt by Mary Norwood to distract attention away from her unexpected loss last evening. We also know that Aaron Diamant and WSB are supporting Ms. Norwood’s campaign for mayor and will go to any lengths to prop her up.”

Neither WSB-TV, or Diamant, have any stake in the Atlanta mayor’s race. Channel 2 Action News strives to ensure all of our stories are fair and balanced.

Cox Media Group