Fallout Continues For Herschel Walker Over “Exaggerated Claims” About Business Record And “String Of Defaults, Settlements And Lawsuits”

Following bombshell reporting from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution which revealed Herschel Walker has “exaggerated claims” about his business record and uncovered “a string of defaults, settlements and lawsuits alleging that Walker and his businesses owed millions of dollars in unpaid loans,” a wave of coverage is slamming Walker’s “controversial business record” – saying “the details are quite something” and “difficult to defend.”

“From decades-long lies to millions of dollars in lawsuits, Herschel Walker’s real record in the business world and beyond is coming to surface,” said Dan Gottlieb, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia. “This latest investigation only goes to show that Walker will say and do anything to help himself.”

See for yourself:

SUNDAY MORNING A1 FRONT PAGE – Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Review of Walker’s business record reveals lawsuits from creditors, exaggerated claims

Fox 54 (Augusta): “Walker…came under fire after an article brought to light a controversial business record”

• Herschel Walker… came under fire Friday after an article brought to light a controversial business record.

Creative Loafing Atlanta: NEWS BRIEF: Herschel Walker dishonest about business success, records show

• The business acumen of Herschel Walker is being called into question after public documents contradicted statements the U.S. Senate candidate has made about his companies. A review by the AJC of court records reveal multiple loan defaults, lawsuits and settlements connected to Walker’s various enterprises as well as exaggerated claims about the number of people he employs.
• On the campaign trail, the former UGA running back insists his wealth is due to business triumphs, but much of that income has been acquired through speaking engagements and brand endorsements, according to campaign financial disclosures.
• “It shows that he will exploit false information for personal gain,” says former Emory University professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, now a dean for leadership studies at Yale. “He hasn’t established himself as a pillar of trust.” Walker’s campaign accused the AJC of a “witch hunt” due to his current lead in the polls.

NewsOne: Herschel Walker Brags About His Business Success, Records Show Lawsuits, Losses And Lies

• It turns out GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker has been out here boasting about what a great businessman he is while, in reality, his businesses have not been paying back loans, he’s been exaggerating about how many people he’s employed and his businesses have been facing lawsuits and serious net losses because Walker is more cap than capitalist.
• According to a report by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “the Republican Senate front-runner boasts of creating several successful businesses and hundreds of jobs” and he’s looking to ride that reputation all the way to Raphael Warnock’s Senate seat.
• A review of court records and other public documents shows that Walker has been telling Tinder Swindler-level lies about the number of people his companies employ, the sizes of his businesses, and the assets they own.
• “The review also revealed a string of defaults, settlements, and lawsuits alleging that Walker and his businesses owed millions of dollars in unpaid loans,” AJC reported.
• He claimed in 2009 that he employed more than 100 people at the company and more recently, he upped that amount to more than 600 employees. But during the pandemic when the company was applying for Paycheck Protection Program loans from the federal Small Business Administration, Walker reported having only eight employees at the company.
• It turns out his claims of employing hundreds of people referred to the chicken distributors he bought his product from, which are not part of his business. So when he got sued in 2018, Walker walked back all of that bragging about making it rain jobs by admitting that he doesn’t own any of his suppliers.
• Beyond all of that, AJC reports that “Walker and various business partners have defaulted or fell behind in payments on at least eight loans totaling $9 million over the past two decades.”
• Anyway, the list of Walker’s business failings goes on, but the moral of the story is, Herschel be lying.
• The man’s campaign was already caught lying repeatedly about Walker graduating from college, and Walker himself once promoted a magic mist one can spray in their doorway that will “clean you of COVID” when they walk through it.

MSNBC: Herschel Walker’s latest problem: A controversial business record

• If nothing else, at least Herschel Walker can point to his private-sector background, right? Actually, no, that’s problematic, too.
  
• Because Herschel Walker has no background in public service, scrutinizing the Georgia Republican’s record in other areas becomes all the more important. For the U.S. Senate hopeful, this is proving to be a problem.
  
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution published a detailed report today, scrutinizing Walker’s boasts about his private-sector prowess.
  
• This dovetails with an AP report from last summer, pointing to Walker having “exaggerated claims of financial success and alarmed business associates with unpredictable behavior.”
  
• His record is difficult to defend.

Washington Post (Opinion): New revelations about Herschel Walker show how Democrats could hold the Senate

• When he’s out on the campaign trail, [Herschel Walker’s] likely to offer his success as a businessman as a qualification to serve in Washington. Which is why new reporting from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is so potentially damaging.
  
• It reveals not only that Walker has been dishonest about what a terrific job-creator he is, but that he has had “a string of defaults, settlements and lawsuits alleging that Walker and his businesses owed millions of dollars in unpaid loans.”
  
• The details are quite something. First, it seems Walker has been using the Trump technique of claiming that his companies are extraordinarily successful when the truth is far different — what ordinary people call “lying.”
  
• It isn’t hard to imagine that a few more revelations or stumbles could be the difference between victory and defeat for Walker.

National Journal (Hotline): “Herschel Walker’s Spotty Business Record Faces Scrutiny”  

• A “review of court records and other public documents contradicts statements” former NFL running back Herschel Walker (R) “has made about the number of people his companies employ, their size and the assets they own. The review also revealed a string of defaults, settlements and lawsuits alleging that Walker and his businesses owed millions of dollars in unpaid loans.” 

• “While Walker attributes his wealth to his business acumen, much of it seems to be derived from his celebrity status as a football legend through speaking engagements and brand ambassadorships, according to campaign financial disclosures.” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) 

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