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Prosecutor: Ex-commissioner funneled taxpayer funds to personal account

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Prosecutors now say former DeKalb Commissioner Elaine Boyer used an elaborate scheme to pay tens of thousands of dollars to a vendor – only to have the money funneled back to her personal bank account.
 
Channel 2 Action News broke news of Boyer's resignation Monday and the federal charges against her Tuesday. Channel 2's Jodie Fleischer obtained exclusive information on how Boyer admits she took taxpayer money for her personal gain.
           
Prosecutors have so far refused to name names because that part of their investigation is still ongoing. But, Fleischer's spent months digging into the details. She has invoices, checks, and a money trail that leads right back into Boyer's personal bank account.
 
In an exclusive interview, Boyer admitted to Fleischer that she violated the trust of DeKalb County taxpayers and says she plans to plead guilty to charges of wire fraud and mail fraud conspiracy.
 
"I feel deeply ashamed. I'm embarrassed and I've dishonored the leadership position I had," Boyer said.
 
Channel 2 Action News spent months filing open records requests and tracking Boyer's spending. Fleischer uncovered 36 invoices submitted to Boyer by one vendor, a man named M Rooks Boynton. Boynton then received county checks totaling more than $83,000. Prosecutors say at least $58,000 of that money was paid right back into Boyer's personal bank account.
 
"What do you say to the taxpayers whose money that was?" asked Fleischer.
 
"To the people of DeKalb, I'm just deeply, deeply, sorry," Boyer said.
 
After an open records request, Boyer's staff told the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, 'No other records or work product could be located' to explain what Boynton did. Prosecutors say that's because he did nothing for Boyer or DeKalb County.
 
"I've made a huge, tremendous error in judgment, and many lies and intentional deception and I deeply regret it," she said.
 
Boynton's invoices cite consulting and research for issues like transportation, Grady, and Martoc, and lists his company name as The Boynton Report.
 
Georgia's secretary of state has no record of The Boynton Report, but does list a company called the Boynton Group, started by John Boyer, Elaine's husband.
 
The company shared an address with several of his other businesses, now an empty office in a strip mall. 
 
Fleischer tried to track down John Boyer at home, and found it empty, too. The bank recently foreclosed. The same is true for a million-dollar home on St. Simons Island, where M Rooks Boynton was living. It was owned by Clint Day, a former politician who once ran for lieutenant governor and U.S. Senate. Elaine Boyer was his campaign manager.
 
"Can you talk at all about who else was involved in all of this?" Fleischer asked.
 
"I can't say any more," Boyer said.
 
"Because of the investigation or they've asked you not to?"
 
"I'm cooperating and that's just my statement," Boyer said.
 
Fleischer tried to reach M Rooks Boynton, at four different phone numbers and using four of his email addresses, but received no response.
 
The U.S. Attorney's Office has said its investigation is still ongoing, and would not comment on who else could face charges.