How much Columbus Finance Department audit and criminal investigations have cost
The years-long external audit investigations of the Columbus Consolidated Government’s Finance Department after a backlog in the processing of business and alcohol license fees and occupational taxes — plus a subsequent criminal investigation — have cost the city approximately $1 million, according to information the Ledger-Enquirer obtained from CCG through a request under the Georgia Open Records Act and an estimate from the Muscogee County sheriff.
According to an emailed response from the city attorney’s office, CCG paid $456,221.40 to the Atlanta-based law firm Troutman Pepper for legal fees in 2023 and 2024 to investigate the Revenue Division of the Columbus Finance Department.
CCG paid an additional $323,264.73 to the forensic accounting firm Acuitas of Atlanta as part of the same investigation, the email says.
The Ledger-Enquirer reported in May that the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office investigation of the CCG finance department led to charges against two people. One of them had their charges dismissed in June due to the statute of limitations expiring.
Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman gave the Ledger-Enquirer a “rough estimate” of the cost of the criminal investigation, which he said was about $300,000.
This story was originally published July 9, 2025 at 10:27 AM.