Atlanta police chief responds to recordings obtained by Channel 2 Action News

ATLANTA, Ga. — In the audio tapes, Atlanta Police Chief George Turner directly refutes what Mayor Kasim Reed has been saying about a nearly $80,000 payout to the chief.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Richard Belcher says the chief admits the payout had nothing to do with his own personal hardship, but that of his family.

Since we broke the story of the payouts to the chief and five other city employees, Reed has insisted the only reason his administration allowed current city employees to cash out accumulated leave was because the employees were facing personal hardships.

The chief, however, told a group of officers he didn’t have a hardship.

In the recording, Turner can be heard saying, in part:

“When the mayor was reelected, I said, ‘Mr. Mayor, I'm coming to work, and I'm making about $50 more a day that I could make if I retired.’ He said, ‘Chief what do you need? I want you to continue to be chief.’ And he paid me for my vacation hours. That was his preference.”

Reed has acknowledged that payouts were an error but he, along with key officials, has continued to defend the payouts.

“The intent was clearly to help someone who was in distress,” Human Resources Commissioner Yvonne Yancy said earlier this week.

Reed also defended the payouts shortly after Channel 2 Action News broke the story.

“But the only thing we were trying to do was to help some folks who needed help,” he said.

Channel 2 Action News has obtained an audio recording of a meeting in which Turner told a group of fellow officers there was no hardship in his case.

Turner told Channel 2’s Richard Belcher that while he doesn't have a personal hardship, family members do.

“I chose to serve as the chief of police, and I know that every aspect of my life is a public matter. However, the personal, medical issues of my family are simply not. I'm not going to discuss that,” Tuner said.

Turner told Belcher nothing illegal was done regarding the matter.

Last week, the city's chief legal officer warned the city council the payouts to Turner and five others could lead to unspecified litigation against the city.

WSBTV