After learning through court documents of his involvement in an alleged embezzlement scam, the Cobb County Democratic Committee calls on Vice Chair John Cristadoro to resign from the Cobb Board of Education.
This call for resignation comes after Fulton County Judge Wesley Tailor denied Cristadoro’s request to seal a settlement agreement between his marketing company Alliance Activation and the Sagicor Life Insurance Company.
Sagicor sued the then candidate in 2024 saying he kept $250,000 paid to his business which Cristadoro used to pay off credit cards. A settlement has been reached, but Cristadoro attempted to seal the documents in an attempt to cover up the details of the deal.
“Not only did Mr. Cristadoro allegedly misused a quarter of a million dollars, but he bent over backward to hide it from the public,” said CCDC Chair Essence Johnson. “Despite his lawyer’s claims that he wished to put it behind him, he did not even show up to the hearing and only showed concern for his political future.
“Court documents show he admitted wrongdoing in how he handled his business, making him no longer fit to continue serving on the school board. His judgment cannot be trusted when it comes to handling taxpayer funds or transparency with the public.”
Judge Tailor heard from Cristadoro’s lawyer Caitlyn Powers who argued that his political reputation would be damaged and his privacy violated if the details of the settlement were not sealed. She claimed there were enough scattered details in the remaining court documents for the public to "glean" what had happened.
However a lawyer representing a group of Cobb County residents pushed back, citing Atlanta Journal & Constitution v. Long, a 1988 case that established that privacy interests do not outweigh public interests. In fact, given that he is vice chairman of the school board which manages a $1.8 billion budget, the citizens of Cobb County deserved to know.
In the end Tailor agreed and rejected Cristadoro’s motion to seal the terms of the settlement. He has until Dec. 1 to finalize the settlement terms with Sagicor or the case will be ruled on by the judge.
Cristadoro was recruited by Board of Education Chair David Chastain to run for the Post 5 seat being vacated by David Banks. During his campaign he used his position as a small business owner to try and boost his credibility.