District Attorney Accused of Dropped-Charges Bribery, Lying About Fantasy Statements
“Attorney General Chris Carr … announced that the office’s Prosecution Division has indicted* Paulding County District Attorney Donald Richard ‘Dick’ Donovan on four felony charges: Bribery … False Swearing, … and Violation of Oath by Public Officer, O.C.G.A. § 16-10-1. A Paulding County Grand Jury returned the indictment on February 17, 2021,” released Georgia’s Office of the Attorney General in their press releases.
“Donovan has served as the Paulding County District Attorney since his election to that position in 2010. The indictment charges that Donovan committed the offense of bribery when he submitted an order dismissing criminal charges pending in Paulding County Superior Court against a client of the Cedartown Municipal Court prosecutor with the purpose of influencing this prosecutor’s decision regarding the disposition of criminal charges then pending in the Cedartown Municipal Court against an employee of Donovan’s office. The indictment also charges Donovan made false statements in a sworn affidavit when he denied ever having said that he wanted to have sex with this same employee of his office and denied describing fantasies regarding his desire to be physical with this employee. In addition, the indictment charges that Donovan violated the terms of his oath of District Attorney by committing the offense of bribery.”
