Hall County solicitor accused of ignoring campaign finance laws

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Corridor County Solicitor Common Stephanie Woodard faces a second state investigation, this one involving her marketing campaign.

GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Corridor County Solicitor Common Stephanie Woodard – already beneath GBI investigation – now finds herself going through new allegations.

The Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission filed a criticism accusing the longtime elected official of failing to offer key marketing campaign and monetary disclosures, not only for 2022, however for yearly since 2018.

“Most elected officers are fairly good about getting these filed,” stated Joe Cusack, deputy normal counsel for the fee. “So it’s kind of uncommon to see an workplace holder or someone who’s held workplace for a few years screw up these filings.”

Woodard, who can also be an legal professional, took workplace in 2008.

The primary violation carries a $1000 positive. Each extra depend may very well be $10,000.

Information present Woodard has spent little or no cash on campaigns in recent times as a result of she’s had no opposition. However the regulation nonetheless requires common reporting. Fines for these violations may very well be paid from marketing campaign funds.

But when the allegations show true, Woodard could be personally on the hook for fines involving her failure to submit monetary disclosure statements every year — information exhibiting all enterprise pursuits and sources of income.

Cusack defined these annual filings are designed to guard all Georgians.

“They will guarantee that there’s no public officers taking motion that’s principally going to be profit their pocketbook,” he stated.

Woodard didn’t reply to our makes an attempt for remark, each via electronic mail and a go to to her workplace.

Rick Farmer says he already gave his assertion to the GBI. He cremated the solicitor’s canine. She submitted the $190 bill for reimbursement. Corridor County lower her a test.

Mix this new investigation with an older and much more critical one.

Sources contained in the Corridor County Courthouse stated a number of GBI brokers spent a number of hours Monday executing a search warrant for information from Woodard’s workplace.

• The state legal professional normal ordered the GBI probe based mostly on what the FOX 5 I-Group uncovered in October: hundreds of public {dollars} earmarked for crime victims instead spent by Woodard on questionable purchases:
• Her canine’s cremation.
• A member of the family’s LSAT utility.
• Costly headphones.
• Buying sprees at vintage shops. Plus many extra purchases with no clear indication a sufferer was really helped.

Woodard has already paid again round $2000 of that cash, claiming these bills have been submitted by mistake.

We also discovered thousands of dollars spent at area restaurants for Woodard and her workers. Usually the solicitor claimed the meals have been for “coaching.”

Rick Farmer is the proprietor of Precious Memories, the pet crematory that dealt with Woodard’s canine. Farmer stated he is already given his assertion to the GBI.

“They’re critical about this,” he stated.

The GBI can also be fascinated by Woodard’s determination to file duplicate expense experiences with Corridor County and the Prosecuting Attorneys Council, in essence getting reimbursed twice for a similar bills incurred throughout PAC’s annual summer season convention.

Regardless of the prison investigation, Woodard stays on the job. And on this month’s Common Election, she collected 63,397 votes, unopposed for her fourth full time period as Corridor County solicitor normal.