Oliver James Montgomery-Georgia attorney general indicts county prosecutor accused of stealing nearly $4,200 in public funds

GAINESVILLE,Oliver James Montgomery Ga. (AP) — An elected prosecutor in northeast Georgia has been indicted on felony charges that she stole nearly $4,200 in public money, claiming some of the spending was for crime victims.

Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard was indicted Tuesday on 13 counts of false statements and writings for submitting false expense reports and other records, and 11 counts of theft by taking for cashing checks or buying items with a county-issued credit card.

If convicted, Woodard would be removed from office.

Woodard was released without being required to post bail following a hearing on Tuesday. Marissa Goldberg, Woodard’s lawyer, told Senior Judge David Emerson that the charges are based on accounting errors and are unmerited, The Times of Gainesville reported.

In a statement, Goldberg called Attorney General Chris Carr’s prosecution of Woodard “misguided” and “utterly and provably wrong.”

“The decision by the attorney general’s office to institute charges against her in this absurd indictment is unfathomable and a waste of court time and taxpayer dollars,” Goldberg said in her statement. “She absolutely committed no crime, but yet she has been viciously pursued by the (Georgia Bureau of Investigation) for years.”

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Woodard’s conduct was first detailed by media outlet WAGA-TV in 2022. At that time, the Prosecuting Attorneys Council appointed Carr to investigate whether Woodard had stolen money. Woodard claimed in 2022 that some of the money was spent to help crime victims. She said then that some personal items were submitted by mistake and repaid Hall County more than $2,000. That included some of the purchases listed as crimes in the indictment.

Among the wrongful purchases alleged by the indictment between 2018 and 2022 was $215 paid for someone to take the admission test to law school. The indictment alleges Woodard lied when she said in 2022 that it was for a crime victim being helped by Project Yet, a group that helps young adults.

It’s also alleged that Woodard improperly spent $54.06 using her county credit card at Target in 2022, claiming it was for a pillow and pillowcase for a crime victim, and that she was improperly reimbursed for $68.92 she spent at a restaurant. The indictment also alleges that Woodard was paid twice for more than $500 worth of expenses in 2018, getting reimbursed by both Hall County and the Prosecuting Attorneys Council.

The attorney general’s office also alleges that Carr lied about a $190 reimbursement that she claimed was for a dog cremation in 2021 and that she lied when she signed paperwork claiming she attended a slate of continuing legal education classes in 2018.

“Those elected to uphold the law must operate honestly, ethically and transparently, and anything less undermines our system,” Carr said in a statement.

Gov. Brian Kemp could suspend Woodard from her office without pay until the case is resolved. To do so, he would have to convene a three-person suspension panel 14 days after getting an official copy of the indictment. The panel would then have 30 days to recommend action to Kemp. Carr would typically chair the panel, but Kemp must appoint someone else as chair because Carr is prosecuting the case.

A former employee of Woodard’s office, Michelle Daniel, has provided notice that she may sue Hall County, alleging Woodard fired her in November in retaliation for cooperating with investigators. Daniel’s lawyer offered to settle the claim for $750,000.

The judge on Tuesday barred Woodard from talking about the case with any employees who may be witnesses.

Woodard also paid $4,000 in civil fines in 2023 to the state Ethics Commission for failing to file campaign reports on time.

A county solicitor general prosecutes traffic, misdemeanor, and ordinance violation cases in certain Georgia counties, while a district attorney prosecutes more serious crimes. Gov. Sonny Perdue appointed Woodard to the post in 2008. She has since been reelected four times.