Quick Links   You last visited August 8, 2022, 8:27 am All times shown are Eastern Time (GMT-5:00) | Judge rules whistleblower suit against Georgia Lottery can go forward Georgia Lottery: Judge rules whistleblower suit against Georgia Lottery can go forwardRating:A whistleblower lawsuit claiming a Georgia Lottery executive was fired after refusing to support inflated sales projections should go to trial, a Fulton County Superior Court judge decided this week. Kenneth Knight, former vice president for financial management at the Georgia Lottery, argued that he was pressured by Lottery President Debbie Alford and his boss to present the lottery board with flawed sales projections in April 2014. Knight says in the lawsuit that he told his boss about problems with the numbers, but that they were presented to the board anyway. About a week after the board meeting, Knight says he was terminated from his job "because of events that took place in March and April of 2014 during the budget process which resulted in misleading information being distributed to our CEO and board of directors," the lawsuit says. Knight says he was fired to shift blame and cover up the fact that Alford knowingly presented the board with inflated figures, "an act by her that is both unethical and illegal, and which was motivated solely by unlawful political influence." When the lawsuit was filed in 2015, Lottery officials called it "baseless." They said he was fired "because his superiors lost confidence in his ability to fulfill" the job. (See Former Georgia Lottery official files whistleblower lawsuit, Lottery Post, Apr. 25, 2015.) Fulton County Superior Court Judge Alford Dempsey denied the Georgia Lottery's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. In his decision, Dempsey wrote that Knight had "exemplary" performance reviews in his job and that a jury should decide the issue. Knight's lawyer, Kim Worth, declined to comment. Joe Kim, senior vice president and legal counsel for the Georgia Lottery said, "We certainly respect the court's decision." AJC, Lottery Post Staff
STONE MOUNTAIN GA United States Member #60218 April 9, 2008 606 Posts Offline | A whistleblower lawsuit claiming a Georgia Lottery executive was fired after refusing to support inflated sales projections should go to trial, a Fulton County Superior Court judge decided this week. Kenneth Knight, former vice president for financial management at the Georgia Lottery, argued that he was pressured by Lottery President Debbie Alford and his boss to present the lottery board with flawed sales projections in April 2014. Knight says in the lawsuit that he told his boss about problems with the numbers, but that they were presented to the board anyway. About a week after the board meeting, Knight says he was terminated from his job "because of events that took place in March and April of 2014 during the budget process which resulted in misleading information being distributed to our CEO and board of directors," the lawsuit says. Knight says he was fired to shift blame and cover up the fact that Alford knowingly presented the board with inflated figures, "an act by her that is both unethical and illegal, and which was motivated solely by unlawful political influence." When the lawsuit was filed in 2015, Lottery officials called it "baseless." They said he was fired "because his superiors lost confidence in his ability to fulfill" the job. (See Former Georgia Lottery official files whistleblower lawsuit, Lottery Post, Apr. 25, 2015.) Fulton County Superior Court Judge Alford Dempsey denied the Georgia Lottery's motion to dismiss the lawsuit. In his decision, Dempsey wrote that Knight had "exemplary" performance reviews in his job and that a jury should decide the issue. Knight's lawyer, Kim Worth, declined to comment. Joe Kim, senior vice president and legal counsel for the Georgia Lottery said, "We certainly respect the court's decision." Good!! I hope they get her azz!! She is just as crooked As Nathan Deal who hired her!! The GA Lottery is crooked; they don't even show the drawings like they should. They only show the first ball rolling and the other balls are just sitting there already. What kind of shenanigans is this? | | |
Fresno, California United States Member #157849 August 2, 2014 3959 Posts Offline | Is there bad fruit in the Peach State?  "We are all in this together!" | | |
Atlanta, Georgia United States Member #172977 February 11, 2016 871 Posts Offline | Good!! I hope they get her azz!! She is just as crooked As Nathan Deal who hired her!! The GA Lottery is crooked; they don't even show the drawings like they should. They only show the first ball rolling and the other balls are just sitting there already. What kind of shenanigans is this? Your totally right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are so crooked they all should be on trial. They cheat and change when they don't want to pay out. They are full of Shenanigans and other things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | | |
Atlanta Georgia United States Member #145708 August 12, 2013 658 Posts Offline | Well, I would like a refund please. | | |
* In hot pursuit of $ *
White Shores- California United States Member #136471 December 12, 2012 6829 Posts Offline | Well, I would like a refund please. I would rather see Ken having a falling out with Debbie, instead of Barbie. Go get her tiger! * Voice of Reason * * People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it- George Bernard Shaw. | | |
Atlanta, GA United States Member #1265 March 13, 2003 7452 Posts Offline | I was always happy with how Margaret DeFrancisco ran the Georgia Lottery and sad to see her go. I felt she did a very good job. Have fun and the best of luck to everyone!  | | |
Bellingham, WA United States Member #86466 February 4, 2010 44 Posts Offline | As long as the feds allow the states to use R.N.G.'s instead of using the numbered balls, all states will find away to steal money from it's player's!!!
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No Man's Land United States Member #164131 February 19, 2015 6799 Posts Online | Your totally right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are so crooked they all should be on trial. They cheat and change when they don't want to pay out. They are full of Shenanigans and other things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They must be relatives or learn how to cheat from Alice Garland up here at NCEL (North Carolina)  | | |
No Man's Land United States Member #164131 February 19, 2015 6799 Posts Online | As long as the feds allow the states to use R.N.G.'s instead of using the numbered balls, all states will find away to steal money from it's player's!!!
Numbered "ping pong" balls are not safe either! NC, when they do not show the announcer and the number coming up the chute at the same time. It is pre-taped here in NC...I guarantee it and they are all in on it! http://www.nc-educationlottery.org/video.aspx?v=Day | | |
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