The case of Dr. Anthony Tricoli is really one which replicates the story of David vs. Goliath. Anthony is representing all citizens of Georgia, whereas Goliath is the Georgia’s corrupt state government and its ill acting Attorney General. What is at stake here is whether or not state officials may be held accountable in any way by members of the public, under the law, for criminal conspiracies that, according to the legislature, harm the State and its people. One judge said Tricoli has done more than enough to make his case and earn his day in court.
Dr. Tricoli is determined, standing tall and is obstinately facing Goliath with sling and rock in hand. And while he has good, right, truth, integrity and ethics on his side; will he get justice from the criminal justice system in Georgia? Unfortunately, the good guys typically don’t win, especially not here in Georgia. But if he does, its a win for all of us!
The case of Anthony Tricoli provides a critical opportunity for the Georgia Supreme Court to decide whether Watts, Carruth, Tarbutton, Huckaby et al. are immune to claims for a pattern of criminal predicate acts brought under the Georgia RICO statute. That includes claims for a malicious campaign intended to destroy Anthony Tricoli’s livelihood and career, in retaliation for interfering with the illegal use of state funds, by knowingly falsifying state agency reports, broadcasting false claims about state business over the airwaves, and otherwise making knowing misrepresentations of matters under the jurisdiction of the state in felony violation of OCGA 16-10-20.
It should not be forgotten that it was a pattern of RICO predicate acts that wrecked Georgia Perimeter College, as well.
“The novel questions raised by the scheme that targeted Anthony Tricoli, and nearly destroyed an entire state institution offering access to higher education, are the most important this Court could entertain, reaching the most basic precepts of the accountability of the government to the governed. According to the Attorney General, the trial court, and the Court of Appeals majority—the citizens of Georgia have absolutely no recourse against even the most sinister, self-serving schemes hatched by state officials. The malice aforethought and the seriousness of the harm to the individual supposedly do not matter.” Stephen Humphreys
“It is documented and alleged that all this havoc was created by state officials who, as the dissent pointed out, did not merely breach a common law tort duty to Anthony Tricoli, but who committed a pattern of related criminal predicate acts, by abusing the power they held by virtue of their positions within a “governmental entity”—as explicitly prohibited by the Georgia RICO statute.” Stephen Humphreys
This is a case of great gravity and concern to determine whether state officials may be held accountable in any way by members of the public, under the law, for criminal conspiracies that, according to the legislature, harm the State. That is especially true in a case, like this one, where the Attorney General the public might count on to deter such criminal conduct, through criminal prosecution, is instead defending the alleged wrongdoers and arguing that they are immune even if they are guilty of the crimes. That makes sovereign immunity a carte blanche for criminal impunity in the halls of state government. The Georgia RICO Act can provide a remedy that is consistent with our values, as embodied in the very words of our Constitution, that no government official, no matter how powerful, stands beyond accountability to the people under the law, when acting with deliberate intent to harm another. That will not result in a flood of lawsuits against bookkeepers who make an honest mistake. It does not protect a budget official who knowingly falsifies the financials of a state agency to hide the theft of funds. It allows us to guard against a King or Queen of Hearts who can run around shouting “off with their heads,” completely uncontested, as happened, in fact, to Anthony Tricoli.
KUDOS to attorney Stephen Humphreys for writing a beautiful and clear argument. We’ve all heard, “the proof is in the pudding”. If that’s true, then this Petition is some great pudding that would be impossible to refute.
Hang tough Anthony, we are all praying that you win…..for all of us.
It makes me sick that the University System of Georgia might get away with their corrupt behavior again. For the courts to give those corrupt people Sovereign Immunity just because they are employees of the state, even though they have admitted fraud is completely outrageous. Anthony Tricoli was a wonderful college president. He was thoughtful of the opinions of others and he genuinely cared for our students, and our students loved him. He led a true culture change at GPC that resulted in a civil workplace. His leadership made a tremendous difference. I and many others were very very sorry to see him go. The college has become a mere shadow of itself without him as our president. I hope those who committed crimes against him and our college get what they have coming to them. And I truly hope that Dr. Tricoli gets to lead another college soon.
http://d2yqkrjxae8gd7.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Tricoli-Petitions-Georgia-Supreme-Court.pdf?iv=125
Read this and you will know exactly what happened at GPC. I had no idea what Dr T went through. This is very sad to happen to such a nice guy.
Wow! this petition is a real eye opener!
I agree that a few of these people should go to jail.
And RICO was the best way to file this complaint. The dissenting judge was right on, I agree with everything she said, Tricoli should get a jury trial. If he does, he wins BIG!! There is no way that sovereign immunity should save the lawbreakers. Tricoli should get a big settlement, he deserves it.
This is the best document of the case between Tricoli and the USG. It lays everthing out in plain and simple language. For years we’ve waited for this kind of detail, and now we have it. There is no question in my mind now that Tricoli was set up. Like others here, I hope he gets a jury trial of his peers. He should still be the president of GPC. I hope this document will help others to understand the truth.
OMG… did you read this? I cannot believe in this day and age Government employees can actually get away with this kind of unethical and corrupt behavior! If you read the details of this case you will find that, when a student journalist by the name of David Schick started to investigate and reveal the corrupt behavior and request copies of emails via the open records request law, Rob Watts issued a memorandum to change the record retention requirement to two-weeks — What? Who does this and gets away with it?. And, when the Attorney General attempted to deny Dr. Tricoli’s claim on the basis that he had no contract, yet was working and being paid for 6 years, the Board tried to slip in a change of policy (after the fact) to support their cockamamie/BS story. Do you think we are stupid or what? Innocent people do not try to cover things up like this? These guys are crooked and I hope Tricoli is heard in court and reveals these criminals – one by one! Everyone needs to rally around this man as he is taking an undeserved beating as he is trying to do the right thing for the students and the people of Georgia.
Every new document that is shared about this case looks worse than the last for the USG.
The State of Georgia and the USG are both out of control.
This is a Chicago-mafia style institutional machine answerable only to itself. I am glad Tricoli is fighting this battle, and I hope he takes down those who did this dasterly deed to him and 282 other employees. I hope we can all get our jobs back.
Ever seen the movie First Blood? If not, no need, just read this Petition to the Georgia Supreme Court. The USG drew first blood from the wrong guy, and now he is taking it to them.
The USG made a huge mistake in poking what they thought was a sleeping possum, but it was a sleeping bear. That was a big mistake made by the USG.
This guy is a great person, kind, and a CEO like no other, a brilliant tactician, smart off the charts, and he’s as tough as anyone you know, he can take a punch while delivering four of his own.
Read the Petition, the USG broke the law and now they’ll do everything possible to put the crooks behind bars. I’m placing my money on Tricoli and his attorney Stephen Humphreys.
I agree completely. The USG took a shot at the wrong guy. He is an upstanding and outstanding guy. He won’t back down on any criminal. He would have made a great constable. Bad guys beware.
People in the USG & GPC are going to end up in jail and we know who they are – see the listing of the defendants. (or at least they should be sent to jail).
This ought to change the face of the leading party in Georgia. Out with the corrupt!
Its time for the USG to take back what they said about Tricoli in the news and on the Internet. They set him up and now we all can all see the proof in this Petition to the Supreme Court. Shame on those guys for not doing the right thing, they hurt an innocent man just to merge the institutions. I hope he takes them all down. My guess is that they’ll offer him a deal to shut up; and my guess is that he probably won’t take it. HA!
I wonder if this can become a class action lawsuit with all of the 282 employees that were harmed by this unethical scheem played out by the USG, Huckaby, Watts, Carruth, and I’m sure many others behind the scenes?
The USG and GPC have a long history of trampling over people and ignoring their own policies. They have ended many dreams and killed many careers, it seems fair that it is their turn now.
This is a fight which needs to be fought for all of us Georgians who hate unethical behavior and the corruption of our state officials. I wonder what’s the chance that the Supreme Court judges will be fair and honest?
Sovereign Immunity!! Give us a break, the USG is guilty! They admit they are guilty! Put the bums in jail!
The USG is guilty of FRAUD and CORRUPTION, and now they want SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY, no way, put them in jail! GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL, DO NOT PASS GO, DO NOT COLLECT $200!!
Here is the question behind Tricoli’s lawsuit:
“Should state officials be held accountable in any way by members of the public, under the law, for criminal conspiracies that, according to the legislature, harm the State and its people?”
Or, should they receive sovereign immunity from prosecution for these illegal actions?
I say yes!
What do you say?
“Should state officials be held accountable in any way by members of the public, under the law, for criminal conspiracies that, according to the legislature, harm the State and its people?” YES
Or, should they receive sovereign immunity from prosecution for these illegal actions? No
Dr. Tricoli never deserved to be treated the way the USG treated him. He was a wonderful and caring college president who served the USG well for six years. His achievements were absolutely astounding over that time! He was always available to us students, and he had a national reputation as one of America’s greatest college presidents of our time. His innovative ideas for education made him a one of a kind college president, a true innovator. Shame on the USG!
This Petition to the Supreme Court says all that we need to know about the GPC situation. The USG should come crawling back to Dr. Tricoli begging for forgiveness for their evilness. The broke the law, the set him up and now they want to receive sovereign immunity for their behavior. This a shameful!
Dr. Tricoli was HIGHLY respected on all of our college campuses. I hope another college will give him an opportunity to show what he can still do for students.
Signed,
A GPC Student Leader
I agree, Dr. T was a great president, always friendly and helpful with students. He attended many of our student government meetings and his door was always open to our questions. I enjoyed the times all of us STAR Leaders got to sit around the fireplace with him and his wife at his home. He was such a great president.
What an eye popper! This petition to the Supreme Court should be read by every state legislator and every Georgia resident. This is a sad state of affairs if this is how any of us could be treated by our state leaders here in Georgia. I wish Anthony Tricoli good luck.
Judge Miller dissented, and for all of the right reasons. Tricoli was harmed over and over again by those whose intent was to harm him. Via RICO, he has earned his right to a jury trial. Give this man his day in court.
No doubt he stands a very good chance of winning.
I’ve been following this situation since it first broke, and if Dr. Tricoli’s ever saw the light of a jury trial, the verdict against the corrupt state officials would be 100% guilty. These criminals should be thrown in jail and stripped of any and all state benefits. They should also be forced to repay every penny they stole from Georgia taxpayers. Furthermore, Dr. Tricoli should be reinstated with full pay and benefits retroactive to when all of this started.
I agree 100% with the poster above. Dr. Tricoli was set up and they murdered his career. These criminals should go to jail. Dr. Tricoli was not a “good” president, he was a “great” president! He should be reinstated by the BOR.
All of this is BS by the USG and the Attorney General. Do they reall think for one minute that if $Millions were missing that the State would say “We’re not going to go looking for the money.”
What a bunch of crap. The Attorney General is a liar. If there was one penny missing he would have gone after Tricoli with both guns a-blazing. Not one dollar was missing that’s why the State looked the other way. Tricoli got screwed.
Tricoli did not lead the college into the red; not one dollar was ever missing. The AG lied, the USG lied, and the judges were either stupid or they were bought off (all except one judge – Miller).
These guys should definitely go to jail. This is a bunch of BS. Tricoli was totally innocent, if he gets into court he will win big! My bet is that the judges will never give him a court date. This would be millions to Tricoli if he gets a jury trial.
Dr. Tricoli is one of the most honest man have ever met. The good old boys of Ga. always get their way. Dr. Tricoli did nothing wrong, and the allegations are false.It has been proven from the records, and court documents. It is so pathetic to see such a great human going down like this. The little man with the bow tie is a liar and a pile of dung. Dr. Tricoli is one of the men I have known. Get his job back. Liars from the state is okay,, until they are in trouble. The corrupt state of Ga. should be ashamed .of themselves. Good old boys never loose.
Dr. Anthony is a fine human being. The Petition he’s filed with the GA Supreme Court proves exactly what many of us have assumed since 2012. The USG lied about a good man to the Board of Regents, they set him up, and then they lied about him again in the press. I am sad that the Attorney General did not do his job, choosing instead to defend those who have admitted they committed fraud to get rid of Dr. Tricoli. I guess corruption begets corruption. KUDOS to Dr. Tricoli for contuining to take the high road. I hope the Supreme Court treats him with fairness and provides him with a trial by a jury of his peers.
Dr. Tricoli’s case exposes the fraud and corruption that occurs regularly with government officials. This case cannot be resolved until Dr. Tricoli is exonerated, the guilty are in prison, and the full amount of money that has been stolen is returned to Georgia taxpayers. The people deserve it!
Anthony Tricoli has been fully exonerated by the good people of Georgia, see below:
http://gwmac.com/dr-anthony-tricoli-exonerated-georgia-watchdogs/
Now all we have to do is put those who committed fraud, and RICO crimes behind bars. I have so much respect for Dr. Tricoli for not giving up in the face of such overwhelming odds.
Tricoli is a good man.
Dr. Tricoli has always been on the side of trust and truth. He is a man of strong ethical behavior and integrity, and he encouraged others to follow suit by always taking the high road. I enjoyed working with him for 5 years, and I would do it again without question if I had the opportunity. He is the best boss and colleague that I’ve ever had.
One of the things I like most about Anthony is that he will never ask you to do anything (and I mean anything) that he won’t do, or hasn’t already done himself. He is the epitome of a walk the talk man. He is very down to earth, he’s taken more than one pie in the face and he’s been dunked in a water tank more than once to help students. Any leader who is willing to get his own hands dirty, or who can laugh at himself and not take life too seriously is the kind of person I am willing to follow.
This “Petition” by Tricoli to the GA Supreme Court is incredible, actually it is very credible. The data provided here makes it absolutly certain that crimes were committed by USG officials. Tricoli should have never been removed. The USG employees that did this should not be protected by sovereign immunity, instead they should be sent to prison for a federal crime.
Tricoli Petition’s Georgia Supreme Court proves crimes against Tricoli were made.
I read the court documents and I agree that crimes were committed in the GPC situation. It appears to me that a budget issue never existed at GPC except some stuff screwed up in HR, but that had nothing to do with Tricolli. I am of the belief that Tricolli was set up and made a scape goat in order to cover up the desire to merge GPC under Georgia State U. If Tricolli gets his day in court he will likely win millions.
The USG is guilty of breaking many laws here in this case. I hope the USG refuses to give Tricoli a cash settlement. For that would be their undoing. If this case makes it before a jury, Tricoli will never have to work again.