Indictment Filed Against Cobb Superior Court Clerk
In a significant turn of events, Cobb County Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor has been indicted on four felony counts by a grand jury. The charges, announced in a Cobb courtroom by Senior Judge Judge William "Beau" McClain, stem from allegations that Taylor directed an employee to delete government emails and financial records related to passport fees processed by her office [1][2][3][5].
Taylor, a Democrat, was first elected in 2020 and reelected last November. However, her tenure has been marred by controversy, with the practice of her office handling passport fees receiving heightened scrutiny in the fall of 2022, following a report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Taylor had collected $425,000 in fees [1].
The indictment accuses Taylor of violating her oath of office by directing an employee, Maya Curry, to delete records which she "had a duty to keep with care and security." Taylor is also charged with destruction of public records, a serious offence [3]. Both charges are felonies, with potential sentences ranging from one to five years for a violation of oath of office, and two to ten years for records destruction [5].
Curry, who worked for Taylor as an accounting manager, alleged in her whistleblower complaint that Taylor ordered her to allocate all passport processing and expedited shipping fees to her personally. The practice of pocketing these fees was carried over from Taylor's predecessor, Republican Rebecca Keaton, though Keaton gave some of the proceeds to the county [1].
The performance issues in Taylor's office didn't start in 2024, but they were exacerbated that summer when Taylor changed the court's case management system software. Last year, these performance issues led to a judicial emergency, suspending legal deadlines for a variety of cases [1].
Taylor has kept a low profile, ignoring media inquiries and skipping a candidate forum where opponents attacked her record. The indictment further accuses Taylor of violating her oath by directing Curry to delete records which she "had a duty to keep with care and security."
If convicted, Taylor faces the possibility of removal from office, as Georgia law mandates the removal of any public official convicted of a felony. The case has also raised public concerns about transparency and the handling of passport fees, as Taylor legally pocketed over $425,000 in passport fees in addition to her salary, a practice that former officeholders handled differently by forwarding such funds to the county’s general fund [1][2].
The indictment was presented to the grand jury by Deputy Attorney General John Fowler, and Taylor is being prosecuted by the office of state Attorney General Chris Carr. The GBI probe was turned over to the AG's White-Collar and Cyber Crime Unit in 2024 [1].
As the legal proceedings unfold, Governor Brian Kemp may appoint a commission to determine whether Taylor should be suspended from her position. The commission will evaluate if the indictment adversely affects the administration of the office and the public’s interests [1].
[1] Atlanta Journal-Constitution [2] MDJ Online [3] WSB-TV [4] 11Alive News [5] Georgia Recorder
- The indictment of Cobb County Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor on four felony counts involving the deletion of government emails and financial records, reported in general news and crime-and-justice sections, has exposed a significant issue of policy-and-legislation in the county's administration, as Taylor stands accused of violating her oath of office and destruction of public records.
- The ongoing legal proceedings surrounding Cobb County Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor's indictment on felony counts, as reported in the general news and crime-and-justice sections, have also sparked political debates, as some argue that her tenure has been marred by controversial practices, and her potential removal could impact the upcoming political landscape in Cobb County.
