Democratic Party of Georgia

Help Move Georgia Forward

NEW TV AD: Kemp Put Himself and His Donors Above Georgians

Kemp Neglected to Take Action on Behalf of Georgia Women Who Reported Sexual Abuse to His Office

ATLANTA — Today, the Democratic Party of Georgia released a new television ad informing Georgians about additional details about Brian Kemp’s role in the Georgia massage scandal. Specifically, the ad points out that as Secretary of State, Brian Kemp’s office decided to not take action on 25 of 26 massage parlor abuse claims reported to his office over three years. An investigation further revealed that one of the former spa franchise owners (who owned the massage parlor where abuse occurred after which Kemp failed to take action) is a major contributor to Kemp’s campaign for governor.

Brian Kemp’s decision to put himself and his donors before Georgians may have been good for him, but it was terrible for Georgia.

AD SCRIPT:

More claims of sexual abuse under Brian Kemp’s watch… She told him to stop. Repeatedly… But Brian Kemp’s office ignored them again. An investigation revealed one of the massage spa’s owners is a major donor to Brian Kemp’s campaign for governor. 96% of sexual assault claims ignored by Kemp’s office. And those are just the ones we know about. Raking in donations. Neglecting victims. Good for Brian Kemp. Dangerous for Georgia.

View the ad here: https://youtu.be/5BXpgFxVsyU

BACKGROUND:

Script

Source
VO:

More claims of sexual abuse under Brian Kemp’s watch…

GFX

Massage spa sexual assaults under Brian Kemp

AJC 5.4.18

 “When massage therapists cross the line, state board rarely acts,” Johnny Edwards and Lois Norder, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 05/04/2018

Twenty-five of the 26 sexual misconduct complaints lodged with the state over the past three years resulted in zero public disciplinary action — no license revocations, no license suspensions, no therapists placed on probation, no reprimands, an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found.”

…

The board falls under the umbrella of the Secretary of State’s Office…
WOMAN:

She told him to stop.

Repeatedly.

GFX

She told him to stop

Repeatedly

AJC 5.4.18

 “When massage therapists cross the line, state board rarely acts,” Johnny Edwards and Lois Norder, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 05/04/2018

“She ordered him repeatedly to stop,” but he ignored her, she reported.
VO:

But Brian Kemp’s office …

…ignored them again.

GFX

Brian Kemp

Office ignored them again

AJC 5.4.18

 “When massage therapists cross the line, state board rarely acts,” Johnny Edwards and Lois Norder, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 05/04/2018

But the state licensing agency charged with protecting the public, the Georgia Board of Massage Therapy, did nothing after she complained. He’s now working at another spa.

…

Such outcomes are typical when it comes to massage therapy and sexual misconduct allegations in Georgia. Twenty-five of the 26 sexual misconduct complaints lodged with the state over the past three years resulted in zero public disciplinary action — no license revocations, no license suspensions, no therapists placed on probation, no reprimands, an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found.

…

The board falls under the umbrella of the Secretary of State’s Office…
VO:

An investigation revealed one of the massage
spa’s owners is a major donor to Brian Kemp’s campaign for governor.

Graphics:

Brian Kemp

Former spa owner a major donor AJC, 7.9.18

 “Kemp critics demand probes of campaign cash from massage clinic owner,” Greg Bluestein and Johnny Edwards, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 07/09/2018

After an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation revealed the owner of those clinics is a donor to Kemp’s campaign for governor, Cagle backers pounced. Chiropractor Patrick Greco gave $1,000 to Kemp, and in April he and his partner hosted a fundraising gala at their lavish estate in Madison, in a renovated antebellum home called the Honeymoon 1851 Mansion.
VO:

96% of sexual assault claims ignored by Kemp’s office.

And those are just the ones we know about.

GFX

Brian Kemp

96% of abuse cases ignored

From 2015-2018

AJC 5.4.18

 “When massage therapists cross the line, state board rarely acts,” Johnny Edwards and Lois Norder, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 05/04/2018

Twenty-five of the 26 sexual misconduct complaints lodged with the state over the past three years resulted in zero public disciplinary action — no license revocations, no license suspensions, no therapists placed on probation, no reprimands, an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found.

…

The board falls under the umbrella of the Secretary of State’s Office…
VO:

Raking in donations.

Neglecting victims. Good for Brian Kemp. Dangerous for Georgia

GFX

Learn More:

Georgiamassagescandal.com

 “Kemp critics demand probes of campaign cash from massage clinic owner,” Greg Bluestein and Johnny Edwards, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 07/09/2018

Chiropractor Patrick Greco gave $1,000 to Kemp, and in April he and his partner hosted a fundraising gala at their lavish estate in Madison, in a renovated antebellum home called the Honeymoon 1851 Mansion.

“When massage therapists cross the line, state board rarely acts,” Johnny Edwards and Lois Norder, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 05/04/2018

Twenty-five of the 26 sexual misconduct complaints lodged with the state over the past three years resulted in zero public disciplinary action — no license revocations, no license suspensions, no therapists placed on probation, no reprimands, an investigation by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found.

…

The board falls under the umbrella of the Secretary of State’s Office…

# # #

Oops! Brian Kemp Touts New Headquarters That Likely Would Not Exist if He Were Governor

Atlanta-Based Arby’s Restaurant Group Opposed Discriminatory Legislation Supported by Kemp

ATLANTA – Today on Twitter, Brian Kemp celebrated the announcement of a new Sandy Springs headquarters for Inspire Brands, the new restaurant company that grew out of Atlanta-based Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc. and includes Buffalo Wild Wings and R Taco.


There’s just one problem with Kemp’s “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” tweet: Arby’s was among the Georgia companies at the forefront of the campaign against RFRA, legislation vetoed by Governor Nathan Deal, which would have enacted a license to discriminate against Georgia’s LGBTQ community.

Brian Kemp strongly supports RFRA, which has been a disaster for other states. In fact, states like Indiana and North Carolina that have enacted discriminatory legislation have seen major companies declining to create jobs within those states as a direct result of the new discriminatory laws.

Suffice it to say: If Kemp were governor, he would have signed RFRA into law, and Inspire Brands would probably have taken its headquarters elsewhere.

# # #

RELEASE: Georgia Democrats and Education Advocates Agree–Brian Kemp Would Gut Public Education

Kemp Proposes Doubling Student Scholarship Organizations and Supports Opportunity School District

ATLANTA — Today, to coincide with the first week of school for Georgia students, State Representative Brenda Lopez, State Senator Tonya Anderson, and other public education advocates convened to discuss exactly why Brian Kemp is bad for public education. Georgia’s public education system is ranked 33rd in the country, yet Brian Kemp wants to take even more money out of public schools and put it into private schools’ pockets.

Brian Kemp supported the failed Opportunity School District initiative, which Georgia voters rejected with 60% of the electorate voting against it. Now, Brian Kemp has proposed doubling the tax credit for Student Scholarship Organizations, a backdoor bid to move funding away from the state’s public school system. If Brian Kemp has his way, funding would be substantially decreased.

“Brian Kemp wants to double the funding for Student Scholarship Organizations, which is just another name for school vouchers,” said Rep. Brenda Lopez, member of Georgia’s Education Committee. “60% of Georgians who believe in public schools fought off the Opportunity School District once, and we must fight Brian Kemp off again.”

“Under Brian Kemp, we are going to see plenty of public schools shut down and the resources that our children and teachers need completely decimated,” said Sen. Tonya Anderson. “Teachers are already spending their own money on resources. Brian Kemp would only serve to make it even harder to prepare our students for the future.”

“I’ve served as a counselor for the last 21 years. I’ve seen firsthand the decay of our public education system under Republican leadership,” said retired counselor Toney Chandler. “Brian Kemp wants to completely give up on public education. On the other hand, Stacey Abrams wants to uplift our public education system.”

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GA Dems Release Ballot Questions, Challenge GA GOP to Support Fair Elections

Georgia Republicans refuse to join Democrats in supporting fair elections by calling for independent non-partisan redistricting commission

 

 Release:  Thursday, March 1, 2018

AJC // Greg Bluestein

Georgia Democrats will ask primary voters whether they support allowing an independent nonpartisan commission to redraw state legislative lines – and urged state Republicans to put the same question on GOP ballots.

Democratic Party of Georgia chair DuBose Porter said he issued the challenge because “it’s in the best interest of voters and our very democracy” to let an independent panel draw the lines.

“The dangers posed in gerrymandering know no party affiliation and silence the voice of voters. Together, both parties can lead by example,” he said, adding: “Georgia Democrats believe that we all will be pleasantly surprised with the results.”

Georgia GOP chair John Watson brushed off the request.

“We’ll go right ahead and add a note to our file of other unsolicited election advice provided by the Democratic Party,” he said.

Georgia Democrats have long pushed legislation to take the power to draw district lines away from the Legislature and hand it to a commission.

Those efforts have gained no traction in the statehouse, though several pending legal challenges could upend the way legislative districts are drawn across the nation.

The other questions on the Democratic ballot reflect the party’s election-year priorities.

There’s a question about blocking the sale of bump stocks, the mechanism used by the Las Vegas gunman who carried out one of the largest mass shootings in U.S. history.

Another query asks whether Democratic voters support expanding Medicaid. And a third questions whether Georgia should invest “a substantial amount” of public dollars for mass transit.

Here are all four questions that will appear on the May Democratic ballot: 

  1. Should the sale and distribution of bump stocks be prohibited in the state of Georgia?
  2. Should Georgia pull down our federal tax dollars to save rural hospitals and create more than fifty thousand jobs by expanding Medicaid?
  3. Should Georgia allow voters to elect our own representatives by amending our Constitution to place the power of drawing district lines under the authority of an independent, non-partisan commission?
  4. Should Georgia alleviate traffic congestion, reduce carbon emissions, and better connect communities by investing a substantial amount of existing tax dollars in mass transit?

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Georgia Dems ask voters about redistricting – and challenge GOP to do same

The Georgia GOP Just Crushed Our Middle Class

                                                                      

The Georgia GOP Just Crushed Our Middle Class

Atlanta, GA – Today, the U.S. House narrowly passed a budget resolution to implement massive tax cuts for corporations and the 1% at the expense of Georgia’s middle class.

 

“At a time when Georgia families are already being crushed under the weight of income inequality, Georgia’s Republican delegation chose to vote in lockstep with Donald Trump to drive up their taxes. Democrats believe you grow the economy from the middle out. We will continue to fight for the middle class and the assurance that corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share.” – DuBose Porter, Chair

 

The Impact in Georgia

 

TAX CUTS FOR WEALTHY:

 

  • By passing the budget, Republicans have cleared the first hurdle in moving forward to a vote on a tax bill that has been written in secret and few have seen. If the Republican tax plan were to pass:
  • The richest one percent of Georgia residents would receive 75 percent of the state’s total tax cuts in 2018. These households are projected to earn at least $552,200 next year and would see an average tax cut of $83,070 in 2018.
  • In stark contrast, middle-class Georgians would only receive five percent of the state’s total tax cuts. These households would only get an average tax cut of $260 in 2018.
  • Millionaires alone would get 65 percent of the state’s total tax cuts. Their average tax cut would be 504 times the tax cut middle class families would get.
  • More than 20 percent of Georgia households would face a tax hike if the GOP tax plan was in effect in 2018.
  • SOURCE: ITEP State-by-State Impact of GOP tax plan

 

MEDICAID:

 

  • The budget calls for more than $1 trillion in cuts to Medicaid – an even deeper cut than Republicans proposed in their health care repeal bills.

 

NUTRITION & INCOME SECURITY PROGRAMS:

 

  • The budget calls for deep cuts to programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, and Social Security.
  • SNAP helps 1,733,000 Georgians stay out of poverty and keep healthy food on the table.
  • More than 70 percent of SNAP participants in Georgia are in families with children.

 

 

Georgia Congressional Republicans Vote to Take Away Health Care From 24 Million Americans, 4,316,000 Georgians With Pre-existing Conditions at Risk of Losing Coverage

Atlanta, GA – Today, Georgia’s Republican Congressional Delegation voted to strip health care from 24 million Americans to pay for a $600 billion tax cut for millionaires and billionaires. If Trumpcare becomes law, seniors will be saddled with higher premiums. Further, 4,316,000 Georgians with pre-existing conditions—including those with cancer, children with disabilities, and those who are pregnant—will at best see higher premiums and at worst complete loss of health care coverage. Democratic Party of Georgia Chair DuBose Porter issued the following statement.

“This is abominable, and I cannot comprehend how these nine men will sleep at night knowing they just tipped the delicate scales of life and death matters. Obamacare saved the lives of millions, improved the quality of life for millions more, and gave families the peace-of-mind that comes with having access to affordable health care. The GOP should know that this is not the end, it’s only the beginning. They will be held accountable.” – DuBose Porter, Democratic Party of Georgia Chair

The bill is so dangerous that GOP legislators even exempted themselves.

Trumpcare’s impact on Georgians with pre-existing conditions is catastrophic. The Center for American Progress has calculated the number of Georgians with pre-existing conditions by Congressional District. All nine Georgia GOP Congressmen voted in favor of putting these Georgians at risk:

Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-1) –  306,701

Drew Ferguson, IV (GA-3) – 299,400

Rob Woodall (GA-7) –  355,000

Austin Scott (GA-8) –  284,600

Doug Collins (GA-9) –  292,100

Jody B. Hice (GA-10) –  302,600

Barry Loudermilk (GA-11) –  328,200

Rick W. Allen (GA-12) –  293,200

Tom Graves (GA-14) –  285,700

Before Obamacare, insurance companies had license to deny coverage or charge higher premiums by defining pregnancy, sexual assault, drug addiction, cancer, diabetes, asthma and much more as pre-existing conditions.

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GA GOP in ACA Denial

Georgia GOP Congressman Continue Boorish Partisanship with 67th Vote to Repeal the Affordable Care Act

 

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives voted—for the 67th time—to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Georgia’s GOP delegation to the House voted in favor of the measure.

 

Nationwide, 9.5 million Americans have enrolled in the Health Insurance Marketplace, including 425,927 Georgians.  (HHS.Gov 1-27-2015)

 

If Republicans had their way, millions of people would lose their health insurance, insurance companies would once again be allowed to deny coverage or charge higher premiums to individuals with pre-existing conditions, and millions of seniors would be forced to pay more for their prescriptions.

 

The Affordable Care Act is working—the national uninsured rate is nearing a historic low, 4.5 million young adults have gained insurance since 2010, and 17 million children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage.

 

Despite these facts, here’s what Georgia Republicans had to say about yesterday’s vote:

 

Rep. Rick Allen – “Simply put, ObamaCare is an unworkable law that is wrong for Americans and disastrous for our economy.”

 

Rep. Buddy Carter – “Today, I voted to repeal the health care law that is destroying the healthcare system…”

 

Rep. Barry Loudermilk – “Today’s vote signals a strong departure from business-as-usual and builds a solid foundation for restoring free-market solutions…”

 

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland –  “…I will continue to vote to dismantle and repeal ObamaCare every opportunity I get.”

 

Rep. Tom Price – “In the House of Representatives, we are saying we need to get rid of this law…”

 

Rep. Tom Graves  – “By repealing Obamacare in its entirety, we can start fresh on health care reform…”

 

Sen. Johnny Isakson – “This entire law is fundamentally flawed and must be taken out root and branch.”

 

Sen. David Perdue – “It’s time for a full repeal.”

 

The same day House Republicans voted to repeal the ACA, Naomi Rosen—an organic farmer from rural Georgia—was among 10 individuals invited to the White House to meet with President Obama to discuss how they have benefitted from the ACA. Naomi had written a letter to the President in June of last year, describing her battle rheumatoid arthritis and how the ACA has impacted her life.

 

From a White House Press Release:

 

Then, about three years ago, she found she could no longer climb onto her tractor, bend down to pull weeds, or harvest her crops.

“I started to use a cane to walk with,” she wrote the President. “I could barely feed and water my flock of free-range chickens…I started to wonder how long I could handle that level of pain and think of alternatives.”

Then, as Naomi said, the ACA happened. A widower, she lives off her husband’s Social Security, and so she qualified for tax credits that have put her monthly premiums under $5 a month. She found an orthopedist nearby, got x-rays — which showed no cartilage on either hip — and scheduled a right hip replacement.

This past June, she was able to climb on her tractor for the first time in four years. 

 

While Georgia Republicans continue their obsession with repealing the ACA, Democrats will continue to find new ways to improve access to healthcare and put problem-solving above politics.

 

David Perdue is blaming everyone but himself…

In an interview Wednesday, David Perdue again refused to answer for his career spent outsourcing American jobs—a career that he is “proud” of. Earlier this week, The Hill reported that Perdue had hidden from voters a key part of his resume—a senior consulting stint at a now-bankrupt textile company in India.

Short on answers, Perdue is now deflecting focus on his questionable business record by criticizing people who “who really have no business background, and don’t really understand what it takes to create jobs”…and the media.

From the Washington Post:

After attacking President Obama over his handling of the Ebola crisis and the Islamic State terrorist group, businessman and GOP Senate candidate David Perdue turned defensive this week when asked about his record on outsourcing jobs.

 

“The criticism I’ve gotten over the last few weeks is coming from people who really have no business background and really don’t understand, you know, what it takes to create jobs and create economic value — which is really what this free enterprise system is based on,” Perdue told reporters at a Veterans of Foreign Wars social hall event.

 

A local television reporter tried again off camera, prompting Perdue to complain that the news media isn’t giving him a fair shake with its “30-second sound-bite business.”

Read the entire story here, and watch the exchange at the video below.

 

 

WATCH: David Perdue doesn’t get it…

The AJC reported earlier today that David Perdue responded to a Politico story in which the Georgia GOP candidate for U.S. Senate—when asked specifically about his experience in outsourcing—said “Yeah, I spent most of my career doing that.”

 

Today, when asked to defend those comments, Perdue told reporters “Defend it? I’m proud of it.”

 

Check out the WSBTV clip here.

 

Perdue Defend Watch 

 

Find the AJC piece below…

 

Atlanta Journal Constitution: Perdue ‘proud’ of outsourcing past, blames Washington for jobs lost

 

By Chris Joyner

 

U.S. Senate candidate David Perdue said Monday he is proud of outsourcing he has done in his career as a corporate executive, pushing blame for lost jobs back on Washington.

 

Perdue, a former CEO for Dollar General and Republican nominee to replace retiring Sen. Saxby Chambliss, was stung by his own words last week in an article on Politico.com. The Washington political news website quoted Perdue from a 2005 deposition where he said he “spent most of my career” outsourcing.

 

“Defend it? I’m proud of it,” he said in a press stop at The White House restaurant in Buckhead. “This is a part of American business, part of any business. Outsourcing is the procurement of products and services to help your business run. People do that all day.”

 

The deposition was taken as part of a lawsuit in the bankruptcy of Pillowtex, a failed textile company where Perdue was CEO in 2002 and 2003. In remarks Monday, he attempted to draw a line between his business decisions and Washington policies.

 

“I think the issue that people get confused about is the loss of jobs,” he said. “This is because of bad government policies: tax policy, regulation, even compliance requirements. It puts us at a competitive disadvantage with the rest of the world. Even today, right now this administration has policies going on that are decimating industries today.”

 

Perdue has run on his resume as a successful businessman, so the deposition is a windfall for Michelle Nunn, Perdue’s Democratic opponent, who has tried to paint him as a job killer.

 

“In the deposition, David Perdue explains, in his own words, that he would summarize his business experience as mostly spent outsourcing jobs overseas to places like China and Mexico,” said Nunn spokesman Nathan Click. “That’s a far different explanation than what he’s been trying to convince Georgia of during this election and it’s not the kind of experience we need in Washington.”

 

This month Perdue received the endorsement of a key business group, the National Federation of Independent Business. In remarks made at the endorsement, Perdue put his record at Dollar General squarely up against his opponent’s, who he said had offered no “ideas on how to get people working again in America.”

 

“We added about 2,200 stores, created almost 20,000 jobs and doubled the value of that company in a very short period of time. Not because of me, but because we listened to our customers and employees,” he said. “We helped families get from pay day to pay day and that was our mission. We got back to that mission and it worked, pure and simple.”

 

It’s at Dollar General where Perdue typically hangs his CEO hat, not Pillowtex. His 9-month stint at the helm of the North Carolina textile firm is the only significant business credit not mentioned in his campaign biography.

 

In in interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution last year, Perdue referred to his time as head of Pillowtex as “a trying experience.”

 

The Pillowtex collapse laid off 7,650 workers in the United States and Canada, about 4,800 in North Carolina alone. At the time, it was the largest single layoff in state history.

 

“I thought I could help,” he said. “They were some of the best workers I’ve ever worked with. I would have done anything to salvage the situation.”

But in the 2005 deposition, Perdue was blunt about the company’s need for more outsourcing.

 

“One of the problems this company had was (it was) overburdened with domestic manufacturing capacity,” he said. “And those cost of goods out of those factories were significantly higher than the costs or prices coming in from importers at that time,” he said.

 

In determining whether he wanted to accept the Pillowtex job, Perdue said he first had to find out if company officials “had the stomach for a turnaround.” Perdue said the company had to be “committed to the implementation of the strategies that were being laid out” to “market the brands, and second, improve cost of goods sold.”

 

Did that mean moving all manufacturing jobs out of the U.S., the lawyers asked.

 

“Not all,” Perdue said. “They (Pillowtex) felt like certainly a majority would have to be sourced out. They did not know how much. But the sourcing and marketing strategies were cornerstones of their plan of reorganization.”

DPG Chair Denounces Remarks Made By GA GOP State Senator on Sunday Voting

Release:  Tuesday, September 9, 2014

 

Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Denounces Remarks Made By Georgia Republican State Senator on Sunday Voting

 

 

Atlanta, GA – Days after DeKalb County CEO Lee May announced that DeKalb voters would—for the first time in state history—be allowed to cast their ballot on a Sunday, Georgia Republicans are announcing plans to suppress voter turnout.

 

Today, State Senator Fran Millar said of Sunday voting “Now we are to have Sunday voting at South DeKalb Mall just prior to the election. Per Jim Galloway of the AJC, this location is dominated by African American shoppers and it is near several large African American mega churches such as New Birth Missionary Baptist. Galloway also points out the Democratic Party thinks this is a wonderful idea – what a surprise… I have spoken with Representative Jacobs and we will try to eliminate this election law loophole in January.”

 

Later, Millar took to social media to say “…I would prefer more educated voters than a greater increase in the number of voters…”

 

Democratic Party of Georgia Chairman DuBose Porter issued the following statement in response to Millar’s remarks:

 

“What have Georgia Republicans come to when they are outwardly admitting to suppressing the African American vote? Further, his comments about ‘educated voters’ are reprehensible. I suppose Fran would prefer a return to literacy tests or the poll tax while he’s at it.

 

“Access to the polls is not a loophole—it’s a guaranteed right. And it’s Fran’s responsibility to make sure that the tens of thousands of voters in his district have every opportunity to make their voice heard. Anything less than that is reckless and frankly un-American.

 

“As Democrats, our mission is clear—to ensure every eligible voter can register, that every registered voter can vote, and that every vote is accurately counted. Even in the face of this brazen and discriminatory move by Republicans, we will continue to work toward the expansion of voting access. It is our civic responsibility.”

 

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BACKGROUND

 

AJC 9/9/2014 – GOP state senator says first Sunday vote in DeKalb will be the last

 

Think Progress 9/9/2014 – Georgia Senator Complains That Voting Is Too Convenient For Black People

 

 

 

Voting Access – A Tale of Two Parties

Release:  Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Atlanta, Georgia – Just days after DeKalb County announced that—in a historic first for Georgia—DeKalb voters will be allowed to cast their ballot on Sunday, Georgia Republicans are already announcing plans for new legislation to specifically suppress voter turnout.

AJC 9/6/2014 – DeKalb CEO Lee May – “This is a nonpartisan opportunity that we have before us.”

DPG Chair DuBose Porter says ““I think the rest of the 158 counties in Georgia ought to do it. Voting ought to be as convenient as possible.”

AJC 9/9/2014 – Georgia Republican Senator Fran Millar, responds:

“Now we are to have Sunday voting at South DeKalb Mall just prior to the election. Per Jim Galloway of the AJC, this location is dominated by African American shoppers and it is near several large African American mega churches such as New Birth Missionary Baptist. Galloway also points out the Democratic Party thinks this is a wonderful idea – what a surprise.

…Is it possible church buses will be used to transport people directly to the mall since the poll will open when the mall opens?

…I don’t think this is necessarily true and we are investigating if there is any way to stop this action.

…I have spoken with Representative Jacobs and we will try to eliminate this election law loophole in January.”

DPG Chair Addresses Comments Made by RNC Chair

Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Addresses Comments Made by RNC Chair Reince Priebus

 

 Atlanta, GA – Today, Democratic Party of Georgia Chair DuBose Porter responded to comments made by Republican National Committee Chair Reince Pribus at a Cobb County GOP event.

 

At the event, Priebus stated “Under Governor Deal’s leadership, Georgia has created jobs, balanced budgets and even branded number one for business in America. So if you want jobs, vote republican. If you want better healthcare, cheaper energy, better schools, vote republican.”

 

“If Reince’s comments weren’t so delusional, they’d be laughable,” said DPG Chairman Porter in a statement. “Just this week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics issued a report showing Georgia having the 50th worst unemployment rate in the country. On Deal’s watch, our classrooms have lost 9,000 teachers. Georgia’s hospitals are shutting down left and right due to lack of funding.”

 

“Maybe instead of reading some of Nathan Deal’s campaign literature on his ride in, Reince should have picked up a paper. The facts are out there and the verdict is in—Georgia is in an economic free fall and Nathan Deal and the Georgia GOP swapped our parachute with an elephant.”

 

###

 

BACKGROUND

 

Bureau of Labor Statistics 8/18/14 – July 2014 Unemployment Release

 

Bureau of Labor Statistics – Local Area Unemployment Statistics

Democratic Party of GA Chairman DuBose Porter on Tonight’s Primary Runoff Results

Democratic Party of Georgia Chairman DuBose Porter on Tonight’s Primary Runoff Results

 

Atlanta, GA – Democratic Party of Georgia Chair DuBose Porter issued the following statement on Tuesday’s primary runoff results in the Georgia GOP Senate race.

“There is a clear contrast in this race between Michelle Nunn, a leader who has spent the last 25 years leading volunteer organizations and lifting communities up, and David Perdue, someone who has spent his career enriching himself while often times tearing companies and communities apart,” said Democratic Party of Georgia Chair DuBose Porter. “Georgians want leaders who will fix the mess in Washington, not someone who puts personal profit ahead of regular people.”

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Three Questions Nathan Deal Should Answer Immediately

We know what Nathan Deal is going to say about the latest developments in the Ethics Commission cover-up. He’ll deny, rinse, and repeat. This is the same move he’s pulled every single time he’s gotten into hot water.

 

According to Deal, it’s always someone else’s fault.

 

Question is, who will he blame this time?

 

Yesterday, a damning memo was obtained by the AJC authored by Ethics Commission Executive Director Holly LaBerge in 2012 that alleges state employees Ryan Teague, Nathan Deal’s chief counsel, and Chris Riley, Deal’s Chief of Staff pressured her to make ethics complaints about Deal’s 2010 campaign “go away.”

 

Previously, Deal has claimed “no involvement whatsoever”, but according to an interview with WAGA’s Dale Russell, LaBerge—who is now claiming whistleblower status—the cover-up came directly from Deal’s office.

 

If he is still claiming innocence, Nathan Deal should answer these questions IMMEDIATLEY:

 

1)      If Ryan Teague and Chris Riley are state employees and they were acting on behalf of Nathan Deal as an individual or the Deal for Governor campaign—Riley’s text message specifically references DFG—then why have they not been fired? Georgia Code § 21-5-30.2specifically prohibits state resources from being used for campaign purposes:

 

2)      If the Deal Administration used state funds to negotiate a settlement on behalf of Nathan Deal the individual, why hasn’t Attorney General Sam Olens opened an investigation of the activities of Nathan Deal’s administration?

 

3)      Randy Evans—who now appears to be playing the role of “The Wolf” from Pulp Fiction—represented Nathan Deal in the original ethics complaint. So, why did two individuals in the governor’s office negotiate a settlement instead of Randy Evans?

 

The latest developments in the continuing ethics cover-up only reinforces Sen. Jason Carter’s call for Attorney General Sam Olens to fully investigate both the original ethics complaint and the actions leading up to the cover-up.

 

Democratic Party of Georgia Chair DuBose Porter had the following to say on the ethics matter: “This is either willful blindness or unconscionable incompetence on the part of Nathan Deal. We’re gonna keep getting the same old story from Deal. Truth is—I wouldn’t hold in my hand what’s sure to come out of his mouth.”

Release: DPG Chair Responds to News of Probable Million Dollar Settlement in Second Ethics Lawsuit Involving Nathan Deal

Release:  Friday, June 7, 2014        

                                                                                     

Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Responds to News of Probable Million Dollar Settlement in Second Ethics Lawsuit Involving Nathan Deal

Chairman DuBose Porter calls on Nathan Deal to be held accountable for his actions

 

Atlanta, GA – Democratic Party of Georgia Chair DuBose Porter released the following statement in response to news that state officials are preparing to pay out another $1 million settlement in yet another disturbing whistle-blower lawsuit involving an investigation of Gov. Nathan Deal’s campaign finances.

 

“The people of Georgia expect Nathan Deal to be held accountable for his actions—not taxpayers,” said Chairman Porter. “The Deal administration has now racked up a tab of more than $2 million in state funds and there are still more ethics lawsuits to be resolved.

 

“This week, the Muscogee County School District announced the loss of 69 teachers and school-based personnel. By my estimation, the taxpayer dollars used to bail Governor Deal out of ethics lawsuits could have been used to keep those teachers and other personnel in our schools. Voters and taxpayers have the right to be beyond angry at the Governor now.

 

“In addition to a multi-million dollar tab, Deal has given Georgians heartburn and proposals for even more secrecy in government. No wonder Nathan Deal wants to silence whistle-blowers—the more we learn about how Deal runs his administration, the more it costs the rest of us.”

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Governor Deal’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week

ATLANTA—Facing a barrage of news exposing his failures as leader and a trial exposing his meddling with an ethics investigation of his campaign, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal is having a bad week.

 

The Deal Ethics Trial

Deal Ethics Screenshot


Deal caught a break early in the week when his lawyers successfully suppressed a subpoena for him to testify in the ethics trial. But that luck quickly dried up, after witness after witness implicated Deal and his staff in a coordinated effort to stymie an ethics inquiry into his campaign’s improper activities.

 

Even Deal’s ally, former Ethics Commission Chairman Patrick Millsaps, admitted under oath that actions by the governor’s office to replace the lead investigators on the commission “doesn’t pass the smell test.”

 

“Gov. Deal may have ducked having to testify, but he’s still the elephant in the courtroom,” said DuBose Porter, chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia.

 

Witnesses in the trial have testified that the commission’s two senior staff were forced out the door after initiating investigations of the Deal campaign. Deal’s office hand-picked a new director who quickly ended the investigation, witnesses say.

 

More Bad News at Every Turn

 

Deal was caught flat-footed after failing to advance key legislative issues that he suddenly found out were important to Georgia voters.

 

Under pressure for failing to push forward a measure to allow medical marijuana for children suffering from severe seizure disorders, Deal announced he would seek executive action on the issue. But that effort was dealt a blow by former Georgia Supreme Court Justice Leah Ward Sears, who told WABE that the governor would be overstepping his authority. “[T]his kind of thing would be invading the province of the legislature, and I don’t think the executive can do that,” Ward Sears said.

 

Deal woke up on Saturday to a headline in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution revealing the state is wasting millions of dollars each year in food stamps overpayments. The huge waste comes to light during a mismanagement crisis where there is a 30,000 person backlog and thousands of calls are going unanswered at the agency responsible for administering food stamps. “This is a very dramatic wrong turn,” said an expert in Georgia’s food stamp system about the waste, which amounted to $138 million last year. “It’s unusual to see a state deteriorate this far this fast.” The mismanagement has put $76 million in federal funding at risk.

 

Deal’s week wasn’t much better outside of Atlanta. His knee-jerk response Savannah Harbor deepening project setback has landed him in hot water, with reality colliding with Deal’s rhetoric. Deal’s actions “could saddle the state with poisoned property and thorny legal problems,” the AJC reports.

 

Polling Doldrums

 

Deal had already started the week down, in the aftermath of a poll showing that four in ten likely Republican voters won’t commit to voting for Deal in the GOP primary, where he faces two challengers.

 

Then WSB-TV released a new poll showing Deal neck and neck with his challenger, State Sen. Jason Carter. That puts him in what is traditionally a dangerous zone for incumbents, and demonstrates Georgia voters’ remarkable lack of confidence in Deal’s ability to address the state’s challenges. Deal has some of the lowest approval ratings for any incumbent governor facing reelection in the nation.

 

Georgia GOP Rebrand Report: More Embarrassment, Same Old Party

SOPcover

 

Georgia GOP Rebrand Report

A year ago, RNC Chair Reince Priebus spoke at the National Press Club and laid out a plan to “rebrand” the Republican Party and reach out to constituencies who rejected the GOP during the 2012 elections. But a year later, all the Republican Party has gotten is a year older. No amount of “outreach staff” and trainings to teach candidates on how to speak to constituencies can change the fact that the GOP’s policy and rhetoric are offensive—and often dangerous—to women, people of color, the LGBT community and young people.

 

Unfortunately, too many examples of this failed rebrand originated from right here in Georgia. The Georgia Republican Party’s biggest problem has never been a lack of trainings or how they package their message. Their biggest problem is who they are, what they believe, what they say, and how they govern.

 

The following are examples of the Republican Party’s failed rebranding in Georgia over the twelve months since the GOP “Autopsy Report.”

 

Georgia Congressman and US Senate candidate Jack Kingston suggested poor children who rely on school lunch programs should sweep the floors saying, “But one of the things I’ve talked to the secretary of agriculture about: Why don’t you have the kids pay a dime, pay a nickel to instill in them that there is, in fact, no such thing as a free lunch? Or maybe sweep the floor of the cafeteria… think what we would gain as a society in getting people –getting the myth out of their head that there is such a thing as a free lunch.”

 

“[W]e need to go back into the schools at a very early age, maybe at the grade school level and have a class for the young girls and have a class for the young boys and say: This is what’s important. This is what a father does that’s maybe a little different, maybe a little bit better than the talents a mom has in a certain area. And same thing for the young girls, that this is what a mom does and this is what’s important from the standpoint of that union, which we call marriage.” – Georgia Congressman and US Senate candidate Phil Gingrey

 

Georgia Congressmen and US Senate candidates Paul Broun, Phil Gingrey and Jack Kingston voted to block the Paycheck Fairness Act.

 

Georgia US Senate candidate Karen Handel – “We must, must get the fed out of the way when it comes to educating our children.”

 

Georgia Congressman and US Senate candidate Paul Broun introduced a personhood bill – cosponsored by Congressmen and US Senate candidates Phil Gingrey and Jack Kingston – that specifies that a “one-celled human embryo,” even before it implants in the uterus to create a pregnancy, should be granted “all the legal and constitutional attributes and privileges of personhood” though similar legislation has been rejected by voters in multiple states because legal experts have pointed out that it could outlaw some forms of birth control and in vitro fertilization as well as criminalize abortion at all stages.

 

Georgia Congressmen and US Senate candidates Phil Gingrey and Jack Kingston voted to restrict women’s right to choose.

 

Georgia Congressman and US Senate candidate Paul Broun pulled his support of a bill that would restrict a women’s right to choose because exceptions for rape and incest were added to the bill.

 

Georgia US Senate candidate David Perdue – “I don’t see education in the Constitution.”

 

Georgia Insurance Commissioner Ralph Hudgens said that pre-existing conditions were the same as having a car accident that’s “your fault.”

 

“Lord, I’m going to get in trouble over this, but it is not natural for two women or two men to be married… If it was natural, they would have the equipment to have a sexual relationship.” – Former Georgia Republican Chairwoman Sue Everhart

 

Former Georgia Republican Chairwoman Sue Everhart asserted that same-sex marriage was about scamming the system saying, “You may be as straight as an arrow, and you may have a friend that is as straight as an arrow… Say you had a great job with the government where you had this wonderful health plan. I mean, what would prohibit you from saying that you’re gay, and y’all get married and still live as separate, but you get all the benefits? I just see so much abuse in this it’s unreal. I believe a husband and a wife should be a man and a woman, the benefits should be for a man and a woman. There is no way that this is about equality. To me, it’s all about a free ride.”

 

“You know, folks mock Mitt Romney for what he said, but he’s right. Forty-seven percent of American citizens pay zero in income taxes. It’s just true… In fact, the bottom 30% of American citizens profit from the tax code because they’re getting refundable tax credits back… I don’t care if you’re paying a dollar. You need to believe that you are involved in the process, and you need to have skin in the game.” – Georgia Congressman Rob Woodall

 

“I don’t believe we should cater to illegal aliens… Providing them with a Georgia driver’s license is a privilege that shouldn’t be granted to illegal aliens, but afforded only to lawful residents of this state.” – Georgia State Senator Bill Heath

 

When called upon to support the integration of a segregated high school prom, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal said “I think that people understand that some of these are just local issues and private issues, and not something that the state government needs to have its finger involved in.”

 

State Representative Jason Spencer speaking on Medicaid expansion – “By the way, many hospitals are addicted to the current reimbursement structure in Medicine (the main problem with the healthcare). They are like addicts on crack. They don’t want to give up the money or move to a different solution. They benefit off the current system.”

 

State Senator Josh McKoon, after several Georgia businesses spoke out against his legislation that would allow employers to discriminate against potential employees based on current protected legal statuses—like race, sex, age, pregnancy, sexual orientation, nationality and even religion under the guise of protecting the employer’s religious freedom. – “The only discrimination going on in this state is against people of faith.”

 

State Representative Sam Moore introduced HB 1033 that would allow convicted child molesters to loiter on school grounds and HB 1046, a bill that would legalize the use of deadly force against law enforcement officers who use force entering someone’s home.

 

This year, Republicans in the state legislature passed SB 98—legislation that would bar the state employee health insurance plan from covering abortions with no exceptions made for rape or incest.

 

Also this year, Georgia Republicans introduced anti-Common Core legislation that would allow Georgia to “retain absolute control” over what its students were learning.

 

Republicans in the state legislature attempted to pass legislation to disenfranchise elderly and minority voters by severely reducing early voting under the guise of saving money.

 

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Release: DPG Chair Calls on GA GOP to Table Extreme Health Care Legislation

Republican Lawmakers Should Stop Playing Primary Games with Georgians’ Access to Health Insurance

Democratic Party of Georgia Chairman Porter asks Georgia GOP to act in best interests of Georgians by tabling HB 707 and HB 990

 

Atlanta, GA – This session, Georgia Republican legislators have introduced multiple pieces of legislation to block the implementation of health care reform. Two bills designed to drastically reduce consumers’ ability to learn about and access health care coverage through the exchange. Both HB 707 and HB 990 have already passed the House and now they await a vote in the Senate.

 

If HB 707 were to pass the Senate this week, it would prohibit any state agency from using resources or spending funds to advocate for the expansion of Medicaid, prohibit insurance navigators—like the UGA Health Navigator Program—from directing consumers to the federal exchange, and the bill would prohibit the Commissioner of Insurance from investigating or enforcing any violations of the ACA—including discrimination by insurance companies based on pre-existing conditions.

 

“This seems pretty simple to me—Georgia Republicans would rather watch uninsured Georgians get sicker and sicker than to admit there are popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act that are already saving lives,” said Democratic Party of Georgia Chair and former State House Speaker Pro Tem DuBose Porter. “HB 707 says it’s okay to charge women higher premiums than men. HB 707 codifies what Republican Ralph Hudgens has said—that having breast cancer, asthma, or diabetes is ‘your fault.’ HB 707 says that it’s okay for insurance companies to spend whatever amount of your premium dollars they want on bureaucracy and bonuses.”

 

Republican state lawmakers have enabled Gov. Nathan Deal’s desire to shirk responsibility by introducing HB 990. Currently, Gov. Deal has the ability to broaden access to health care for over 600,000 Georgians and throw a critical lifeline to struggling rural hospitals with one pen stroke by expanding Medicaid. Yet, with HB 990—crafted and strengthened by the governor’s own staff—Georgia Republicans have instead thrown an Election Year lifeline to Deal by removing his authority to expand Medicaid and giving it to the state legislature.

 

“There is no accountability with this governor,” said Chairman Porter. “Sure, solving Georgia’s health care problems isn’t easy—but if Nathan Deal doesn’t want the responsibility of governing, he should stick to the salvage business.”

 

Georgia Democrats have repeatedly called for Gov. Deal and the Georgia Republican Party to work with Democratic lawmakers to expand access to affordable health care and fix our state’s broken system. Instead, Republicans have introduced these dangerous pieces of legislation, said that rural hospitals “need to close” and even compared hospitals to crack addicts.

 

“If Nathan Deal and his Party want to act in the best interest of Georgians, they would table both of these bills,” concluded Chairman Porter. “Rural Georgians shouldn’t be forced to drive an extra thirty miles in their hour of need just because Nathan Deal let their hospital go belly up. These nightmare scenarios are happening right now and Georgia Republicans seem just fine with it as long as their chest-beating ekes out a few extra votes in their primary.”

 

 

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