DPG Calls on Brian Kemp to Give Back Secretary of State Salary

Kemp’s Blatant Conflict of Interest Apparent

GEORGIA — Today, the Democratic Party of Georgia called on Brian Kemp to return the $172,294 full-time salary he is receiving as Secretary of State while concurrently running for Governor of Georgia, since he first announced his candidacy in March 2017.

This comes on the heels of the ethics complaint filed against Brian Kemp last week. Kemp has thus far given no indication that he intends to cut his salary or resign the position of Secretary of State.

Secretaries of State of both parties, Karen Handel and Max Cleland, resigned when they ran for higher office because of the obvious conflicts of interest.

The Secretary of State’s office in Georgia is a full-time position that impacts the lives of everyday Georgians. In addition to administering elections, the Secretary of State’s office is responsible for managing and preserving public records in the State of Georgia, licensing, monitoring, registering professionals and businesses, and regulating the state’s security market, among many other duties.

Despite all of Kemp’s managerial mistakes and ethical shortcomings, in 2016 Kemp accepted a 3% merit-based raise, which he only gave back after being pressured to do so.

Brian Kemp has already tried to cheat Georgia taxpayers once, so it is no surprise that he is doing so again.

“In spite of his previous unethical and incompetent actions as Secretary of State, Brian Kemp has the audacity to continue to draw down a full-time taxpayer-funded salary,” said Georgia Democratic Party Chair DuBose Porter. “We need leaders who will keep money in the pockets of hardworking Georgians through a living wage, an earned income tax credit, and other smart investments — but Kemp is cheating hard-working Georgians.”

Background:

Brian Kemp has been running for Governor of Georgia since at least March 2017. With overseeing two data breaches that exposed the information of over 6 million Georgians, accepting over $325,000 from entities that he was supposed to be regulating, and being accused by nurses of “jeopardizing the safety of patients who depend on a well-regulated nursing industry,” Kemp’s reckless behavior was already adversely affecting the office of the Secretary of State long before he began running for Governor.

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