Reports: Dooley and Gov. Kemp were involved in “potential pay-to-play politics” and “an intricate web of connection”
Under pressure, GOP U.S. Senate candidate Derek Dooley agreed with dozens of state lawmakers demanding Governor Brian Kemp open an independent investigation into his apparent campaign funding scandal during this month’s special session.
According to new reporting from WDUN, “GOP Senate Candidate Derek Dooley indicated to Access North Georgia on Saturday that he is ‘absolutely’ open to an investigation amid claims of pay-to-play politics.”
Dooley’s response comes after recent reporting uncovered state records that found that the Dooley family company received tens of millions of Georgia taxpayer dollars that Governor Kemp’s administration lined up, while the Dooley family poured over $100,000 into Kemp’s PAC, which he then used to boost Derek Dooley’s U.S. Senate campaign.
“Derek Dooley admitting the need for an independent investigation into Centegix and state contracts doesn’t change the fact that he has benefitted from being a political insider under Gov. Kemp,” said Democratic Party of Georgia Senior Communications Advisor Devon Cruz. “Georgians deserve better and they deserve to know the truth around this campaign funding and pay-to-play politics scandal.”
Read more below on Dooley’s campaign funding scandal:
USA Today: What is happening between Gov. Kemp and Dooley? Scandal in Senate race
By: Irene Wright | June 6, 2026
KEY EXCERPTS:
- Kemp’s political action committee has funneled millions of dollars into the Dooley campaign, according to reports, and the two families have been close since childhood.
- Now, the election has led to accusations of an intricate web of connection between the Kemp and Dooley families, and potential pay-to-play politics dating back to Kemp’s first days in the state house. […]
- According to a report published by 11Alive, a company owned by Derek Dooley’s brother and Kemp’s close personal friend, Daniel, earned millions of dollars when it was issued contracts to put security systems in Georgia schools.
- Kemp is reported to have talked up the company, called Centegix, during events like a visit to a Douglas County school in 2019, where Daniel Dooley was present. He later helped pass legislation for grants to schools for the purpose of security.
- School safety grants were issued to public school districts across the state for a dollar amount that would cover a Centegix system, and those systems have since been installed across Georgia. As of August 2025, 90% of Georgia public schools use Dooley’s product, according to reporting from WSB-TV.
- Dooley in turn donated at least $100,000 to Hardworking Americans, Kemp’s political action committee, which is now funding Derek Dooley’s Senate campaign, according to reports. […]
- Now, state lawmakers from Augusta are leading the charge to add an investigation into the Kemp and Dooley families to the [special session] agenda for June. […]
- The representatives called for an independent investigation into Daniel Dooley’s company and no-bid government contracts during the special session.