Ex-Atlanta mayor sentenced for tax evasion

ATLANTA, June 13 (UPI) -- Former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell was sentenced to 30 months in prison Tuesday for tax evasion, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

But the federal judge who handed down the sentence said the former mayor also had obstructed justice and took bribes.

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Story made the comments despite the jury acquitting Campbell on the bribery charge.

Campbell immediately called the sentence "an abomination" and said he would appeal.

The judge said there was evidence showing Campbell, who was Atlanta's mayor from 1994-2002, took more than $50,000 in bribes from a friend who wanted a city contract, the newspaper said.