ATLANTA – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported over the weekend that the campaign of Brian Kemp sought unsuccessfully to remove from the airwaves the Democratic Party of Georgia’s television advertisements that call out his failure to protect Georgia women. Worried that the massage license scandal would hurt his campaign for governor, Kemp issued a “cease and desist” letter pleading with stations to take down the ad.

Democratic Party of Georgia spokesman Seth Bringman responded: “‘Cease and desist’ is exactly what Brian Kemp should have told the predatory massage therapist whose license his office renewed. But, instead of protecting women, he’s now trying to protect himself, his donors, and his political career. Unfortunately for Brian Kemp, Georgians are learning the truth about his record, and that truth hurts.”

Here are the facts that Brian Kemp doesn’t want Georgians to know: His office ignored 96 percent of sexual assault complaints over three years, and in one case, he renewed the license of a massage therapist who pleaded guilty after assaulting a woman during a massage. Further, a former owner of the spa where abuse occurred became a major donor to his campaign for governor.

From the AJC:

“…no TV stations have pulled the ad, which focuses on an accusation that Kemp’s office mishandled at least four complaints from women who claim they were groped by therapists at Massage Envy clinics.

“The Board of Massage Therapy, which is under the secretary of state’s purview, has not sanctioned or revoked any of the accused therapists. An AJC investigation revealed the former owner of those clinics is a donor to Kemp’s campaign.

…In all, Georgia Democrats have launched three TV ads focusing on the massage parlor complaints, and they have amassed more than 1.2 million views on YouTube.”

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