By Rebecca Gaunt
State Representatives Terry Cummings (D-Mableton), Mekyah McQueen (D Smyrna), Lisa Campbell (D-Kennesaw), and Gabriel Sanchez (D-Smyrna) are calling on Gov. Brian Kemp to 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 in a press release. “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.”
According to court documents, Cristadoro used money wired to his company by his client Sagicor Life Insurance Company to cover cash flow shortages at Alliance Activation. Without Sagicor’s consent, Cristadoro put the money toward operating expenses and credit cards that included Cristadoro’s personal transactions.
Sagicor’s funds were not segregated or placed in escrow or a trust account. In total, Sagicor wired $250,000, $25,000 of which was commission to be kept by Alliance for negotiating a sponsorship agreement with Sunburst LLC. Alliance was then unable to make the payment to Sunburst when it came due.
Cristadoro must repay the $225,000. The debt is not dischargeable in bankruptcy court due to the parties’ acknowledgment that it arises from “money obtained by false pretenses, a false representation, or actual fraud” as defined by the law.
Fulton County Judge Wesley B. Tailor also rejected Cristadoro’s request to seal the document in which he admitted to misusing the funds.
In August 2024, Kemp hosted a fundraiser for Cristadoro and the other two Republican candidates, Randy Scamihorn and Brad Wheeler, who were up for reelection.
The governor’s office has not responded to a request for comment.
From the release:
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.”
Superintendent Chris Ragsdale, Cristadoro, and the other board members have not responded to requests for comment.
Rebecca Gaunt earned a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in education from Oglethorpe University. After teaching elementary school for several years, she returned to writing. She lives in Marietta with her husband, son, two cats, and a dog. In her spare time, she loves to read, binge Netflix and travel.
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