COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A grand jury indicted Cobb County Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor.
Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Michele Newell was in court Thursday as the charges were announced. Taylor faces two counts of destruction of public records and two counts of violation of oath of office.
She has served as the Cobb County Superior Court Clerk since 2020.
According to the indictment, Taylor ordered an employee to delete a folder with records on fees from passport services. Also, she directed the employee to delete an email related to passport revenue.
Chief Deputy Clerk Libby Blackwell told Channel 2 that Taylor was not available at the office Thursday but is still working there.
“No impact to our office, we are open and normal business,” Blackwell said.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr filed charges against Taylor after a GBI investigation into her actions in response to an open records request in 2022.
The Cobb District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that it recused itself from this case.
“The Attorney General’s Office has full oversight and prosecutorial responsibility for the investigation and resulting actions,” they said in the statement. “We recognize the significance and understand the public’s concern, however we are not involved in this prosecution. Our office remains focused on fulfilling our responsibilities and serving the people of Cobb County with integrity and impartiality.”
Cobb County government officials issued a statement, saying they are committed to making sure residents have efficient and effective services through the office no matter the outcome of the proceedings.
“The Clerk of Superior Court is one of four constitutional officers established by the Georgia Constitution and is elected directly by the voters,” they said in the statement. “As such, the office operates independently and is not under the direct authority of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. We respect the judicial process and will allow it to run its course.”
Taylor was ordered by the county commission in February to repay fees her office collected. State law allows superior court clerks to keep the $35 processing fee when someone applies for a passport as a way to supplement their salary.
Officials said Taylor also kept a $24.70 expedited shipping fee that should have gone to the county.
Libby Blackwell, Taylor’s chief operating officer, said they have been prepared to return the money for the last two years, and they have already returned $43,750 for expedited passport fees collected in 2023 and 2024.
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