Members of Cobb County Legislative Delegation Call on Governor Kemp to Remove Vice Chair John Cristadoro from Cobb County Board of Education Following Misuse of Client Funds

ATLANTA - State Representatives Terry Cummings (D-Mableton), Mekyah McQueen (D-Smyrna), Lisa Campbell (D-Kennesaw) and Gabriel Sanchez (D-Smyrna) call for Governor Brian Kemp to invoke his authority under O.C.G.A. § 45-10-4, conduct a formal ethics hearing and remove Vice Chair John Cristadoro from the Cobb County Board of Education, following Cristadoro's misuse of $250,000 in client funds through his private company, Alliance Activation LLC.

"By his own admission, Mr. Cristadoro engaged in civil fraud involving a quarter of a million dollars of client money," said Rep. Cummings. "That is not a private lapse - it is a profound breach of fiduciary trust that disqualifies him from overseeing public funds. The governor has a clear duty under Georgia law to protect public confidence in our institutions."

These legislators highlight that court documents in the case of Sagicor Life Insurance Company v. Alliance Activation LLC indicate that Mr. Cristadoro agreed to a consent judgment acknowledging that client funds were improperly diverted to pay business and personal expenses. The judgment requires repayment of $225,000 plus interest.

Rep. Cummings emphasizes that while the misconduct occurred in Cristadoro's private business, the ethical implications directly affect his capacity to fulfill fiduciary duties as an elected official. She further emphasizes that Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-61) and the Georgia School Boards Association's Code of Ethics imply a fiduciary duty of integrity through its establishment of specific roles and responsibilities that are grounded in public trust and accountability.

"Fiduciary duty doesn't switch off when the meeting ends," Rep. Cummings added. "If a person cannot be trusted with client money in business, they cannot be trusted with taxpayer money in government."

The lawmakers call on Governor Kemp to remove Cristadoro from the Cobb County Board of Education and urge state oversight authorities to take the following actions:

• Referral to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI):
  The GBI should review the circumstances of the consent judgment and assess whether any additional violations occurred related to public trust.
• Independent forensic audit:
  Based on findings and concerns raised by the watchdog group, Watching the Funds-Cobb, an independent forensic audit of Cobb County School District finances should be initiated to verify the integrity of all financial operations.
• Ethics review:
  The State Board of Education should conduct a formal ethics inquiry to determine whether Cristadoro's conduct constitutes "conduct unbecoming of a board member" under Georgia standards.

"This is not about politics; it's about trust," concluded Rep. Cummings. "The people of Cobb County have a right to expect transparency and accountability from those entrusted with their children's education and their tax dollars. Public service demands not just competence, but also character."

Representative Terry Cummings represents the citizens of District 39, which includes a portion of Cobb County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 and currently serves on the Banks & Banking, Public Safety & Homeland Security and State Properties committees.

Representative Mekyah McQueen represents the citizens of District 61, which includes portions of Cobb and Fulton counties. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2024 and currently serves on the Code Revision, Creative Arts & Entertainment and Special Rules committees.

Representative Lisa Campbell represents the citizens of District 35, which includes a portion of Cobb County. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2022 and currently serves on the Budget & Fiscal Affairs Oversight, Human Relations & Aging and Interstate Cooperation committees.

Representative Gabriel Sanchez represents the citizens of District 42, which includes a portion of Cobb County. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2024 and currently serves on the Budget & Fiscal Affairs Oversight, Governmental Affairs and Interstate Cooperation committees.

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