DA Donovan Surrenders Monday After Arrest Warrant Issued

DALLAS, GA —Entangled in allegations by a former employee of sexual harassment and charged by the state with bribery, District Attorney Donald Richard "Dick" Donovan turned himself in to Paulding County authorities Monday afternoon.

Donovan, 75, surrendered at the Paulding County Jail at about 4:30 p.m. After posting a cash bond of $2950, Donovan was released a little more than an hour later.

Donovan was indicted Wednesday by a Paulding County grand jury on felony charges of bribery, false swearing and violation of oath by a public officer. On Thursday, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr requested and received a bench warrant for Donovan’s arrest, giving him until noon Tuesday to surrender.

Donovan’s indictment and arrest follow a GBI investigation into accusations that he had sexually harassed the county's victim-witness coordinator. According to the attorney general’s office, Donavan later denied the charges, then attempted to bribe another government official out of prosecuting his accuser for shoplifting.

Donovan has been Paulding County's district attorney since 2010. He's up for reelection in 2022.

Late Monday, freshman state Sen. Jason Anavitarte of Dallas again called on Donovan to resign, saying “it’s the right thing to do.”

We first called on Mr. Donovan to step down on February 17. We are again asking that he remove himself from office for the good of Paulding County citizens at this time. It's the right thing to do. #gapol https://t.co/Mm0ymtrH44
— Jason R. Anavitarte (@jasonanavitarte) February 23, 2021

RELATED: UPDATE: Bribery Arrest For Paulding DA Donovan