A longtime paralegal and records supervisor on Monday sued her former boss, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard, alleging 15 years of “overt, manipulative and aggressive sexual misconduct and harassment.”
RELATED: Former records clerk alleges sexual harassment by Fulton DA
It's the latest in a string of allegations from women who once worked for the the veteran prosecutor.
Howard has also been accused of 12 public disclosure violations by the state ethics commission. The decision followed reporting by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Channel 2 Action News on discrepancies between personal financial disclosures Howard filed with the state and tax filings submitted to the IRS by a nonprofit he heads.
RELATED >> Investigator: Claim of sexual harassment against DA unfounded
In an interview with the AJC earlier this year, Cathy Carter -- the plaintiff in the just-filed lawsuit -- says she acquiesced to a number of random sexual encounters with Howard, beginning in 2004. She was fired last June after ending their unofficial relationship, Carter’s suit alleges.
In a statement, Howard’s attorney, Anita Wallace Thomas, said Carter was terminated after her supervisors learned she had been arrested earlier that same day in Clayton County for assault while carrying a handgun.
“However, the timing of this lawsuit, a mere 43 days before the election, is not lost upon Mr. Howard,” Wallace Thomas said. Howard’s hold on the DA’s office is facing its biggest challenge since he took office in 1997.
About the Author
