A former Clayton County Commissioner has pleaded guilty to filing false campaign disclosure reports, Attorney General Chris Carr announced Tuesday.
Wole Ralph was sentenced to 24 months of probation under Georgia's First Offender Act for failing to report a total of about $14,000 in campaign contributions, which is a violation of the Ethics in Government Act. Fulton County State Court Judge Wesley Tailor took the plea. The attorney general's office teamed with the Clayton County District Attorney's office on the case.
“Mr. Ralph knowingly violated the Ethics in Government Act, and for that, he must face the consequences,” Carr said. .
Ralph became the subject of the investigation after the state ethics commission unanimously concluded in December 2015 that he had violated campaign finance laws.
Ralph was required to file campaign contribution disclosure reports with the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission. The reports list the amounts of campaign contributions received and spent.
Ralph was accused of filing numerous false reports between 2011 and 2012. He received about $142,000 in campaign contributions but only reported about $37,000 in contributions, according to the attorney general’s office. He also filed four campaign contributions disclosure reports during that time but omitted receiving about $41,000 in campaign contributions. He also failed to file two campaign contribution disclosure reports in which he should have disclosed that he received about $64,000 in campaign contributions. Ralph spent about $105,000 in campaign contributions in 2012 but only reported spending $25,000.
Ralph must perform 100 hours of community service as a condition of his probation.
About the Author
