A former candidate for the Georgia Public Service Commission is in custody, accused of stealing confidential information from Georgia Power.

Patricia "Patty" Durand was booked into the Fulton County Jail on Tuesday night on a felony charge of theft of trade secrets.

According to the arrest warrant obtained by CBS News Atlanta, the theft happened during a meeting on Tuesday between the state agency and Georgia Power.

The warrant claims that Durand re-entered the meeting room and picked up a booklet marked "Georgia Power Trade Secrets." After flipping through the booklet, officials accused Durand of putting the document in her purse and leaving the room.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Georgia Power said the company is cooperating with law enforcement.

"Theft or exposure of proprietary information is a serious matter. While we operate transparently, some data must remain confidential to protect customer interests and ensure we deliver the best value to all customers," the spokesperson said. "Unauthorized disclosure risks harming both our company, the vendors and contractors with whom we do business, and the customers we serve."

Durand was the Democratic candidate for the District 2 seat on the commission in 2022 before a district court judge ruled that the general election should be canceled. 

She is the founder of the nonprofit Georgians for Affordable Energy, which focuses on utility oversight and reform.