ATLANTA, Ga — Following The Atlanta Press’s investigations into the Fulton County Superior Court Clerk, Cathelene “Tina” Robinson’s salary and hiring practices, Robinson has submitted her resignation, effective Friday, June 30, 2023.
Earlier this month, The Atlanta Press exposed how Robinson was making about an extra $360,000 on top of her six-figure salary through the fees her employees earn from processing passports. This brought her up to over half a million dollars in pay in 2021, alone.
The Atlanta Press obtained the following letter released by Robinson:
I trust that this correspondence finds you and your families in good health, great joy, and abundant blessings.
First, I would like to thank you for the dedicated work that you continue to do on behalf of all Fulton County residents. As a long-term public servant and elected official, I completely recognize the duties and responsibilities of the offices that you hold. I commend you on the manner in which you and your teams meet those responsibilities head-on.
After constant prayer and contemplation, in addition to having served the citizens of Fulton County for forty-nine years (sixteen as the Clerk of Fulton County Superior Court), I have decided to retire and direct my attention to solely serving in a different capacity – as a dedicated daughter, mother, and grandmother (which may be even tougher tasks than my professional one).
Therefore, I’d like to inform you that effective at midnight on Friday, June 30, 2023, I, Cathelene “Tina” Robinson, resign the Office of the Clerk of the Superior Court of Fulton County.
Che’ Alexander, who currently serves as the Chief Advisor to the Clerk, shall – pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Georgia Constitution, Georgia Laws, and the Fulton County Code, and upon qualifying for such office as required by law – fulfill my unexpired term as Clerk of the Superior and Magistrate Courts of Fulton County. As many of you are aware, Che’s institutional knowledge of the Clerk’s Office comes second to none. Her continued determination and dedication to elevating the office to the next level will prove beneficial to Fulton County at large.
It has been an honor serving the citizens of this great County and State, as this journey has provided me with limitless memories, lessons, and blessings that will extend far beyond my existence. My sincere hope is that my love and adoration for this office have been illustrated through my dedication, my commitment, and my actions. As such, I would like to leave you with a quote by author H. Jackson Brown, Jr.; one that I have instilled in my children and repeated to many members of my staff. “Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others.”
I wish you Godspeed.
-Tina
The Atlanta Press has discovered through our own submitted public records requests, that Robinson has demonstrated a pattern of asking for raises for her employees, without providing much justification to the county beyond citing in one particular letter that the salary raises “better reflect” current “and future assignments.”
Some of these raises are listed as “unclassified” promotions.
An investigative report last week also dug into Che Alexander, who Robinson has named in that resignation letter as the person who will take over her term.
The Atlanta Press discovered Che Alexander resigned at least four times during her tenure with Fulton County. Her recent rehiring at the beginning of the month to act as the Fulton County Superior and Magistrate Courts Bureau Chief under Tina Robinson is at least the fifth stint she’s had with Fulton County. Her latest position pays $170,000.
A majority of the time when Che Alexander came back after resigning, she received a job offer directly from Tina Robinson that came with a pay bump.
- In June 2018, Che Alexander was given a salary increase, bringing it up to $153,174 acting as the “Bureau Chief,” which is classified as personal staff to Tina Robinson.
- On November 14, 2018, Che Alexander resigned and started her own company, CHEckrein Consulting, LLC (Atlanta, GA).
- On January 20, 2021, Che Alexander’s company, CHEckrein Consulting, LLC gained a $499,500.00 contract with the county to provide technical and consulting services effective January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021, with two renewal options. It was approved by the Fulton County Commissioners and represents 2.5 times more pay than her previous salary when she resigned from Fulton County.
If Robinson’s name is familiar, that’s because of previous news reports on Robinson being adverse to the functioning of the Courts. In 2019, Fulton County Chief Magistrate Judge Cassandra Kirk sued Robinson, asking that Robinson be compelled to perform magistrate clerk duties she was not performing, according to the filing.
Judge Kirk appointed Clerk Robinson to take over magistrate court responsibilities in 2016. Since 2019, Judge Kirk has sought to replace Clerk Robinson by appointing a new clerk for magistrate court, but some members of the Fulton County Commission have been slow to act and resistant to Robinson’s replacement, in particular Fulton Chairman Rob Pitts. Currently, the majority of Fulton commissioners have conceded that the chief magistrate judge should be able to appoint a new clerk.
This is a breaking news story and The Atlanta Press will continue following developments and updating this story here as more information becomes available.
