ATLANTA, GA – Attorney General Chris Carr announced the indictment of Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard on 11 counts of Theft by Taking and 13 counts of False Statements and Writings. The defendant is alleged to have unlawfully acquired funds from Hall County and the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia (PAC) for personal and unrelated expenses between July 2018 and September 2022. The indictment also includes travel expenditures for which Woodard allegedly obtained reimbursement for expenses she had previously submitted to PAC or had never incurred. To support these purchases, she is accused of making false statements and falsifying documents, including receipts.
“Those elected to uphold the law must operate honestly, ethically, and transparently, and anything less undermines our system,” said 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.”
This case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). GBI Director Chris Hosey stated, “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. Working with our law enforcement partners, the GBI remains committed to following the facts and bringing to light evidence in public corruption investigations.”
The Attorney General’s Public Integrity and White Collar Crime Unit presented evidence to a Hall County Grand Jury on June 12, 2024, which returned an indictment against Stephanie Woodard. The indictment includes allegations such as:
- In June 2022, Woodard allegedly made a false statement that a receipt from First Watch restaurant was an expense for abuse awareness.
- In August 2022, she used her Hall County P-Card for Law School Admissions-related purchases but claimed they were for a victim in a local youth program.
- In July 2021, she falsely claimed a reimbursement request was related to dog cremation for an old magistrate court case.
- In June 2022, she used her P-Card for “Testing Services” but misrepresented it as registration for another prep course.
- In September 2022, she made a purchase at Target using her P-Card but falsely claimed it was for a victim's pillow and pillowcase.
- She concealed previous reimbursements from PAC in Travel Expense Request Forms submitted in August 2021 and August 2022.
- In July 2018, she submitted a Continuing Legal Education Affidavit falsely stating full attendance at initialed sessions.
Prosecutors within Carr’s Prosecution Division have previously secured convictions against former Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit District Attorney Mark Preston Jones, former Paulding County District Attorney Donald Richard “Dick” Donovan, and former Pickens County Chief Magistrate Court Judge William “Allen” Wigington.
A copy of this most recent indictment can be found here.
*Members of the public should keep in mind that indictments contain only allegations against the individual against whom the indictment is sought. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and it will be the government’s burden at trial to prove the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of the allegations contained in the indictment.