The DeKalb County election official placed on administrative leave complained about a faulty piece of equipment turned in from Tuesday’s election, according to elections director Maxine Daniels. Daniels said she suspended Leonard Piazza following a conflict he’d had with a subordinate. She declined to say if the conflict with the subordinate was related to the faulty equipment. Friday, DeKalb county officials certified the LaVista Hills cityhood vote now under investigation by the state. 11Alive news first reported the investigation into the election Wednesday. The state is investigating complaints of fraud.
Despite its loss election night, the fate of the proposed city of LaVista Hills is exceedingly murky three days later. DeKalb election officials say the election was conducted and its votes counted properly. But Thursday, they suspended elections supervisor Leonard Piazza – a man who reportedly was suspended from a similar job in Pennsylvania after allegedly trying to expose election fraud. DeKalb County officials called Piazza’s suspension a “personnel matter.”
It added a further element of intrigue into an election that seemed lost Tuesday night for backers of cityhood in LaVista Hills, a collection of DeKalb neighborhoods that tried to incorporate, in part, because backers felt the city would insulate them from DeKalb County corruption.
Read More Suspended election official griped about faulty gear.