Atlanta Progressive News

(APN) ATLANTA — In an interview with Atlanta Progressive News, Paul Luna, chef and mayoral candidate, made a false statement regarding the City of Atlanta and a City employee with respect to an open records request he made late last month.

Luna told APN that he had not received any response to an open records request that he made on January 31, 2013, from Susan Ross, who coordinates open records requests for the City of Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management.

Luna forwarded APN a copy of the request, that he originally directed to Commissioner JoAnn Macrina, and a response he received from Macrina stating that she would be forwarding a copy of the request to Ross.

APN reported that Macrina had forwarded the request to Ross, and that Luna said that Ross had not responded.

However, as it turns out, Luna made a false statement regarding Ross’s alleged non-response.

On February 19, 2013, APN made an open records request to Ross asking for copies of any responses Ross had made, if any, to Luna’s request.

Ross provided APN with an email exchange between Ross and Luna indicating not only that Ross had replied to Luna, but that Luna had also replied back to her.

“Dear Mr Luna: Please clarify your request. What survey are you requesting? If you are requesting information on the Search from which Mr Beard was hired by the City of Atlanta, the Department of Watershed Management is not the custodian of that information,” Ross wrote on January 31.

“lf that is your request, it appears to be a personnel issue which might be better directed to Yvonne C Yancy, Commissioner of the Department of Human Relations through their Open Records Coordinator Jamar Brown,” Ross wrote.

“lf you are requesting a different survey of some aspect of the work of the Department of Watershed Management with regard to Mr Beard, please clarify what survey you are seeking. | can be reached by email at sross@atîantaga.gov,” Ross wrote.

“Thank you for contacting the Department of Watershed Management,” Ross wrote.

“Give me a call,” Luna responded, providing his phone number..

“I tried to reach you by phone and left you a voice mail message. Please feel free to call me on my cell,” Ross replied.

“There has been no additional response or contact from Mr. Luna to this office,” Ross told Atlanta Progressive News.

After providing APN with misinformation, Luna then sent APN a bizarre email asking APN to apologize to Ross on his behalf for “offending” Ross, who Luna said was not his “target.”

However, Luna’s email did not explain that Luna had provided APN with misinformation.

(END/2013)