The Georgia Attorney General’s Office has announced the indictment of Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard on a staggering 24 counts of criminal charges.
The allegations, which span from July 2018 to September 2022, paint a troubling picture of a public official who brazenly misused taxpayer funds for personal gain, all while attempting to cover her tracks through falsified documents and deceptive statements.
The indictment, as outlined by Attorney General Chris Carr, alleges that Woodard repeatedly dipped into both Hall County and the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia (PAC) funds to cover a wide range of personal and unrelated expenses.
This includes travel expenditures for which she allegedly obtained reimbursement, despite having previously submitted the same expenses to PAC or never actually incurring them in the first place.
To conceal her actions, Woodard is accused of making false statements and fabricating documents, including receipts, to support these unauthorized purchases. The indictment cites numerous specific instances of her alleged misconduct, including:
- In June 2022, Woodard is said to have falsely claimed that a receipt from the restaurant First Watch was an expense for abuse awareness, before taking funds from Hall County.
- In August 2022, she allegedly used her Hall County P-Card to make a purchase related to Law School Admissions, and then falsely stated that the registration and receipt were for a victim in a local youth program.
- In July 2021, Woodard is accused of making a false statement that a reimbursement request was for a dog cremation in an old magistrate court case, before taking funds from Hall County.
- In September 2022, she is alleged to have used her Hall County P-Card to make a purchase at Target, and then falsely claimed that a pillow and pillow case were for a victim.
The indictment also details instances where Woodard is said to have concealed the fact that she had previously requested reimbursement from PAC for the same expenses, before then taking funds from Hall County.
Read: Georgia Woman Faces Federal Charges In Tennessee For Cyberstalking, Threats In Adoption Scam
In his statement, Attorney General Chris Carr emphasized the gravity of the allegations, stating that “Those elected to uphold the law must operate honestly, ethically and transparently, and anything less undermines our system.” Carr went on to condemn the “Theft of taxpayer dollars and falsifying documents to cover up that theft” as “entirely unacceptable.”
The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), whose Director, Chris Hosey, echoed the sentiment, stating that “As a public official, Hall County citizens trusted Solicitor Stephanie Woodard with their community’s interests. This indictment illustrates that no one is above the law and must be held accountable for their actions.”
The allegations against Woodard strike at the very heart of the public’s trust in their elected officials. As a Solicitor General, she was entrusted with safeguarding the interests of the community, yet the indictment suggests a blatant abuse of that responsibility.
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