A grand jury has indicted the solicitor general of Hall County for 13 counts of false statements and 11 counts of theft by taking.
State Attorney General Chris Carr released details of the indictment Tuesday. The charges allegedly stem from multiple thefts of county funds and the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia (PAC).
According to a news release from the Attorney General’s Office, the thefts allegedly took place between July 2018 and September 2022. Some of the funds were allegedly used for travel expenses, reimbursements for expenses previously submitted to PAC, and false payments for a dog cremation.
“Those elected to uphold the law must operate honestly, ethically, and transparently, and anything less undermines our system,” said State Attorney General Chris Carr. “Theft of taxpayer dollars and falsifying documents to cover up that theft are entirely unacceptable. As with any case brought by our Public Integrity and White Collar Crime Unit, we follow the facts and evidence to ensure justice for the people of Georgia.”
According to the indictment, the solicitor general falsified documents to secure reimbursements for expenses by submitting fake travel expenses, requesting reimbursements for expenses already paid for, and also submitting reimbursements for work that was not performed.
The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Solicitor Stephanie Woodard is pushing back against the allegations. Fox 5 News released a statement issued by her attorneys in which they wrote:
“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. She absolutely committed no crime, but yet she has been viciously pursued by the GBI for years. They have harassed her family, including her children, during which time the agents were aware of ongoing severe health issues that they were facing.”
The Attorney General’s Public Integrity and White Collar Crime Unit presented evidence in the case to the Hall County Grand Jury on June 12.
READ full indictment here
