The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A visit to Las Vegas, ‘The Money Match’
In August 2017, the boxing world was abuzz over “The Money Match,” a unique fight between mixed martial arts champion Conor McGregor and undefeated, eleven-time world boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Las Vegas was buzzing too. Celebrities arrived in Vegas on private jets from the world over, for the fight at T-Mobile Arena. Reed and three Atlanta police officers on his protection unit came in on Delta flights with airline tickets purchased at the last minute for a combined cost of $7,605 — courtesy of Atlanta taxpayers.
The AJC first reported on the trip in May. At that time, Reed would not say what official city business he was tending in Las Vegas that weekend, or if he and his team went specifically for the boxing match. After the story published, Channel 2 reporters found footage of Reed and a group of people walking through a FOX Sports live shot in a backstage area of the arena on Fight Night.
It wasn’t the first time the AJC and Channel 2 found personal expenses and other questionable purchases on credit card statements.
Reed reimbursed the city $12,000 on March 9, just a few weeks before his statements were released to the AJC. The documents were requested under the Georgia Open Records Act in Fall of 2017, but not released until two months after Bottoms took office.
An examination of Reed’s city credit card use during his last three years in office found the mayor spent more than $300,000. Half of that happened during Reed’s last year in office, when he spent $61,000 in airfare; $25,000 for hotels; and $10,000 on chauffeured car service. The $151,175 in charges to Reed’s card in 2017 exceeded his salary of $147,500.
Jim Beard, the city’s chief financial officer and the man entrusted with enforcing fiscal controls on Reed and others, was an even bigger spender, charging more to his card than the mayor. He also wrote a big check to taxpayers after the AJC requested his statements.
Beard repaid $10,277 in April, for his stay at the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel in Paris the previous year. Beard said he was in Paris for “due diligence on certain street furniture and other concepts under consideration” by the city.