{"id":26882,"date":"2025-12-15T19:17:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T19:17:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=26882"},"modified":"2025-12-15T19:17:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T19:17:14","slug":"georgia-democratic-official-arrested-charged-with-felony-theft-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cndailynews.store\/?p=26882","title":{"rendered":"Georgia Democratic Official Arrested, Charged With Felony Theft"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Georgia Power has accused a former Democratic candidate for Georgia\u2019s Public Service Commission (PSC) of stealing trade secrets.<\/p>\n

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Patty Durand was arrested on Tuesday by Georgia Capitol Police and charged with felony theft, according to\u00a0a report\u00a0from Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB).<\/p>\n

A hearing was held regarding \u201cGeorgia Power\u2019s request to add two Plant Vogtles\u2019 worth of new power, mostly for data centers,\u201d the outlet said. The report also noted that Durand opposes the centers as well as potential rate hikes, and that she runs a watchdog group known as Georgia Utility Watch.<\/p>\n

Video footage from the day of the hearing reportedly shows Durand, wearing a brown jacket, approaching a desk and picking up a booklet before setting it back down and walking to the other side of the room.<\/p>\n

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Moments later, the footage appears to show Durand taking another booklet from a different desk, placing it in her bag, and leaving the room.<\/p>\n

In an August interview with GPB, Durand criticized what she described as a lack of transparency in Georgia Power\u2019s agreements with data centers.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe Public Service Commission allows very heavy redactions and trade secrets,\u201d she said. \u201cSo the contracts between Georgia Power and the data centers are also redacted and trade secreted. So no one will know what they actually charge data centers.\u201d<\/p>\n

It remains unclear what officials believe Durand intended to do with the materials she allegedly took. Georgia Power is cooperating with authorities in the ongoing investigation, according to Fox 5.<\/p>\n

The Georgia Recorder\u00a0reported: \u201cThis week\u2019s PSC proceedings were held to consider a request from Georgia Power to add nearly 10,000 megawatts to the state\u2019s power grid. About 60% of the energy requested would come from expanding or building new gas plants, while 40% would come from renewable energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

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