ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Connie Taylor, the Cobb County superior court clerk facing charges of destroying public records, was booked early Friday morning at the Cobb County jail and released on her own recognizance, according to jail officials.
Taylor was indicted on July 31 on two counts of destruction of public records and two counts of violating her oath of office.
Taylor is alleged to have instructed a court worker to destroy documents related to her retention of passport fees. In her words, Taylor commanded the worker “to Donald Trump this thing.”
Taylor was indicted following a Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) inquiry.
An Atlanta News First investigation uncovered how Taylor and other superior court clerks are allowed to pocket hundreds of thousands of dollars in passport processing fees because of a loophole in Georgia law. Taylor collected more than $220,000 in 2021 in those fees.
Earlier this year, Taylor agreed to reimburse the county more than $83,000 after being accused of collecting expedited shipping fees, which clerks are not allowed to keep.
In a Nov. 17, 2022 letter, attorney Stacey Evans, who is representing the worker, alleged Taylor “chastised” her client for asking how she wished to allocate passport funds in an email.
As she attempted to learn more about Taylor’s plans for the fees, Evans said Taylor stated the passport fees were “her money;” refused to provide any records related to her predecessor’s collection of passport fees; would tell reporters they did not have any related documents; and stated her office would “get rid” of related records, adding, “We’re just going to Donald Trump this thing.”
The GBI gave its case file to the Georgia Attorney General’s Office for prosecutorial review on March 14, 2024.
Taylor was reelected to her position in November 2024.
The Cobb County District Attorney’s Office has recused itself from the case.
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