Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis responds to call for special grand jury investigation into his office

Former Augusta mayor Bob Young is calling for a special grand jury to look at operations in current Mayor Hardie Davis' office.

Davis, who has nine months left in office, is the target of an ongoing state ethics investigation. In a divorce filing last week, his wife accused him of having an affair with a mayor's office consultant, which Davis denied. He's resisted open records requests and had his credit card spending curbed by the Augusta Commission, according to prior Augusta Chronicle reports.

"Records are being withheld or their release stonewalled, unchecked spending has occurred in violation of county policies and a state investigation is under way concerning the use of public resources for political purposes," Young wrote in a Tuesday letter to Chief Augusta Superior Court Judge J. Daniel Craig.

"The fact that the office will be vacated by the incumbent in nine months or so does not diminish the need for a full accounting of his stewardship," the letter said.

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Craig said he received Young's request but could not comment.

"The statutory process that he has asked to be employed is one that would make any comment by a judge inappropriate," Craig said.

Davis responded that only Augusta's CEO – the mayor – could call for a grand jury investigation, while Young could "offer his opinion" to Craig. Davis said the judges of the Augusta Circuit each recused themselves from the mayor's legal affairs. That was in his divorce case.

"Public funds have already been expended to conduct an audit and investigation by Augusta accounting firm Serotta Maddox Evans," Davis said. "I believe that it would not be wise for the court to insert itself into this discussion and may only lead to a further loss of confidence in our judiciary.”

A circuit's chief judge has the authority to appoint a special grand jury. Typically then the district attorney – in the Augusta Circuit, Jared Williams – would guide the jury in its investigation.

Twenty years ago when Young was mayor, he called for a special grand jury to investigate former Augusta Fire Chief Ronnie Few. A jury was empaneled, with Craig then serving as district attorney.

The special grand jury issued multiple official statements questioning the government structure and the ethics of appointed and elected officials.

In the 124-page presentment on Few, grand jurors said he ran the $14 million fire operation with no regard for city policy and awarded unfair promotions and payouts. In the end, however, it gave rise to no criminal charges against Few.

But the process was useful, Young said. "The jury did a commendable job using the tools available only to a grand jury to compel records and testimony that resulted in a series of revealing civil presentments," he said.

Some Augusta commissioners have called for forensic audits of the mayor's office or the entire government, but lack enough commission votes to proceed. Young said a special grand jury could have a similar effect.

"A Richmond County grand jury can just as easily reassure citizens that the rumors and innuendos concerning their mayor are not of whole cloth," he said.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Former Augusta mayor Bob Young seeks Hardie Davis special grand jury