Embattled DeKalb Commissioner Resigns, Says Abused Power

DeKalb County Commissioner Elaine Boyer resigned from office Monday afternoon, reports WSB TV, saying she has betrayed her constituents and no longer wants an investigation into the purported misuse of a county credit card to be a distraction.

“It’s a very hard decision and I’m heartbroken and saddened, but I need to resign,” Boyer told the TV station.

All of the roughly $16,000 Boyer had charged for personal expenses has been repaid to the county, WSB reports.

Boyer apologized in March for allegedly misusing her county debit card for thousands of dollars of personal expenses, and said she didn’t realize the practice was prohibited.

According to an investigation by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Boyer used her county VISA card for non-work-related expenses that include meals, rental cars, and airline tickets to a ski resort. Boyer says she didn’t realize that was prohibited.

Her resignation was to take effect at 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25, the newspaper says.

“I’ve betrayed the people and I’ve abused my position of power,” Boyer told the newspaper, “and so I feel like I need to do this and publicly acknowledge that I’m ending my position today as of 5 o’clock.”

Her statements to the AJC don’t outline what Boyer might have done.

Federal prosecutors in June had subpoenaed purchasing card records, including invoices and receipts, from all DeKalb County commissioners as well as nearly 300 county employees.

Republican Boyer represents portions of District 1 in north DeKalb, including Brookhaven and Dunwoody, says Georgia Public Radio. She sometimes paid back the VISA charges within weeks or months, but more than $2,600 was still unpaid by the time the newspaper began asking for receipts. In all, the newspaper found 52 personal charges she made with the county credit card.

William Perry of the government watchdog group Common Cause said it appears Boyer used the county VISA card as an open line of credit for personal expenses.

“This isn’t something that should be used a slush fund or a line of credit. This is taxpayer dollars,” said Perry.

DeKalb County employees who are given purchasing cards must each sign an agreement governing its use. The document states in part, “I agree to use this card for DeKalb County approved purchases only and agree not to charge personal purchases.”

On March 13, Boyer repaid an additional $4,083 for purchases made this year, and others the AJC questioned that she said were just sloppy accounting.

“I really don’t have an excuse for that and so when it was brought to my attention I paid it back,” said Boyer.