Genevas’s Former Circuit Clerk Arrested on Ethics Charge

GENEVA, Ala. (WDNews) — Former Geneva County Circuit Clerk Ashley Powell has been arrested and accused of using her public office for personal gain.

According to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, Powell, 52, was charged with violating Alabama’s ethics laws.

The indictment accuses Powell of using her position as Geneva County circuit clerk to illegally pay herself more than $93,000 in public funds.

The arrest comes months after Powell was barred from the Geneva County Clerk’s Office. In April, a judge ordered Powell to turn in her keys and prohibited her from entering the clerk’s office while Alabama state agents investigated reports of missing funds.

Under Alabama law, use of office for personal gain is a Class B felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison.

The Alabama Attorney General’s Special Prosecutions Division is prosecuting the case.

The Attorney General’s Office said the investigation remains ongoing and no additional details are being released at this time.