ATLANTA — A well-known Georgia Public Service Commission critic and former candidate is in jail accused of stealing trade secrets from Georgia Power.
Record shows Patricia “Patty” Durand was booked into the Fulton County Jail on Tuesday night. She faces a felony charge of theft of trade secrets.
Capitol Police arrested Durand after security camera video caught her stealing a booklet of proprietary information during a meeting. Channel 2’s Richard Elliot obtained the video that police used to make their arrest.
The PSC was on a lunch break when the alleged theft happened. The video shows Durand walking to a desk where Georgia Power representatives sit. She glances through the paperwork before someone comes to the podium to test the microphone.
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The video shows Durand going to the next desk, where she picked up a confidential Georgia Power booklet marked “trade secrets.”
She goes through the pages before checking to see if anyone was watching her. Then the video shows her slipping the booklet into her purse and walking out of the room.
Durand is a former candidate for the PSC and has been a vocal critic of the commission and Georgia Power.
“It is unfathomable to me why anyone is listening to Georgia Power’s lawyers or staff or witnesses about anything,” Durand said at the public meeting before her arrest.
Georgia Power released the following statement:
“We’re cooperating with law enforcement and can’t comment on any criminal investigation. Theft or exposure of proprietary information is a serious matter. While we operate transparently, some data must remain confidential to protect customer interests and ensure we deliver the best value to all customers. Unauthorized disclosure risks harming both our company, the vendors and contractors with whom we do business, and the customers we serve.”
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