Democratic Party of Georgia

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RELEASE: Do Cagle and Kemp Agree with Trump on Russian Interference?

Trump Chooses Putin Over U.S. Intelligence; Do Kemp and Cagle?

GEORGIA – In the past several days, President Trump attacked our NATO allies, insulted Germany’s Chancellor and Britain’s Prime Minister, blamed a former president for Russia’s invasion of Crimea, and described the European Union as one of America’s ‘foes’.

But yesterday, Donald Trump made his most stunning proclamation regarding Russian interference in the 2016 presidential elections:

“My people came to me, Dan Coates, came to me and some others they said they think it’s Russia. I have President Putin. He just said it’s not Russia.

“I will say this: I don’t see any reason why it would be. But I really do want to see the server but I have, I have confidence in both parties.”

“It sounded like Charlottesville when he blamed both the Neo-Nazi protesters and the activists who stood against them.” said Democratic Party of Georgia Chair DuBose Porter. “President Trump spent the day attacking our own institutions while praising Vladimir Putin. He equated our own intelligence agencies with Russian spies and said he has ‘confidence in both.’”

“Georgia has two Republicans running for Governor that are clamoring for President Trump’s endorsement. Does their loyalty include throwing American intelligence agencies under the bus? Do they agree with Trump that we should have confidence in both?”

“That’s a disaster for Georgia, a disaster for America and a solid victory for Putin and the Russian government.”

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VIDEO RELEASE: Cagle, Kemp Call Each Other Untrustworthy, Democratic Party of Georgia Agrees

Cagle, Kemp Hit the Nail on the Head: Georgia Voters Can’t Trust Either of Them

GEORGIA — Today, one week from the Republican Gubernatorial election, the Democratic Party of Georgia releases two videos, one featuring Casey Cagle and one featuring Brian Kemp, in which each calls out the other for being untrustworthy and unfit to be the next Governor of the state of Georgia.

Casey Cagle was recently caught on tape admitting that he put politics over policy and saying that the primary felt like it would go to who could be the “craziest”. He has also been plagued by revelations that he bought a condo from a lobbyist below market value and that he and his staff racked up $264,999 dollars in airplane flights on the taxpayer’s dime.

On the other hand, during Brian Kemp’s tenure as Secretary of State, his office was responsible for a reckless data breach in which over 6 million social security numbers were exposed on two separate occasions.  Kemp also defaulted on a loan worth $500,000 and took over $300,000 from people that he regulated as Secretary of State, including from Patrick Greco, former franchisee owner of two Massage Envy clinics. While Greco was owner, his Massage Envy clinics faced at least four complaints of men groping women.

One thing is for certain: Neither Kemp nor Cagle can be trusted to be the next leader for the state of Georgia.

“This much from the Republican debate was clear: Georgia voters cannot trust either Kemp or Cagle to look out for anybody but themselves,” said Georgia Democratic Party Chair DuBose Porter. “With the scandals piling up, Georgia voters are quickly learning that both Cagle and Kemp are too preoccupied with serving their own interests rather than those of everyday Georgians, and certainly ahead of leading our state.”

To view the video featuring Casey Cagle, click here.

To view the video featuring Brian Kemp, click here.

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Deal and Democrats Agree: Brian Kemp and Casey Cagle are No Nathan Deal

As Deal Attempts to Protect His Legacy, Brian Kemp and Casey Cagle Have Yet to Earn His Trust

GEORGIA – Today, in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Nathan Deal revealed his reason for not offering an endorsement in the increasingly disruptive Republican Gubernatorial Runoff.

According to Deal, the reason is because “I’ve tried to let both candidates run their own campaigns” adding, “I do have an interest in trying to make sure that whoever my successor is does not go in and undo and destroy many of the great advances that we’ve made. That is my primary concern.”

On this, the Democratic Party of Georgia agrees: Deal has very valid reasons to be concerned and very little incentive to throw his hat behind either of the two Republican candidates running for Governor. Since the day they both declared their intent to run for Governor, Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp have been proposing policies that would precisely undo and destroy the advances that Georgia has made under the Deal Administration, particularly on Georgia’s business climate. See below:

Business Climate

A new CNBC report shows that Georgia has dropped from the #2 place to do business to the #7 place to do business in less than one year. Instead of following Deal’s lead of allowing Georgia businesses to foster and grow, Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp have consistently chosen their own personal politics over Georgia business.

Delta Removes NRA Privileges:

Nathan Deal: Called the Delta controversy an “unbecoming squabble” but said he would sign the broader tax legislation because of its wider cuts to Georgia’s income tax rate.

Casey Cagle: Tweeted “I will kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with @NRA. Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight back.”

Brian Kemp: Stated “Now, it’s time for the Georgia Senate to kill the tax break for Delta and replace it with a sales tax holiday that benefits the same 2nd Amendment supporters that Delta – and other corporate cowards – are publicly shaming.”

Georgia Film Industry

Nathan Deal: “The State of Georgia should be very cautious on telling the film industry what their social policies should be.”

Casey Cagle: “Conservatives: join me in forever boycotting Judd Apatow’s work. Hardly have to ask as his movies are terrible.”

Meanwhile, in Macon, Georgia Democratic Leaders held a press conference that further highlighted the positions and rhetoric of Nathan Deal and contrasted them to that of Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp.

Rep. Miriam Paris, Agricultural Commissioner Candidate Fred Swann, and Bibb County Democratic Chairman Harold Franklin had one simple message: Despite what you might hear and despite what Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp are desperately trying to sell, the reality is that Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp are simply too untrustworthy to be the heir to Nathan Deal.

“Georgia, for the longest has been the best place to do business. We have now dropped to 7th and that is a direct result of what the Republicans have done in placing politics over policy,” said Rep. Miriam Paris. “We need people that are going to be productive, positive and pushing forward to make sure that Georgia is the best place to do business, but not only that. Georgia will be the best place to live, work and raise your family [with Stacey Abrams as Governor.]”

“Brian Kemp and Casey Cagle are certainly not Nathan Deal. They see their own approval ratings going down, they both know the only way to win this race is to run as Deal’s third term. But Georgia voters see right through that. The reality is that there is the Kemp and Cagle party and the party of Nathan Deal,” said Agricultural Commissioner Candidate Fred Swann. “Through their actions, both of these men have shown that they are thoroughly embarrassing to Nathan Deal and the Deal administration. It is no wonder that Deal is staying as far away from them as possible.”

Bibb County Chairman Harold Franklin added “Are they (Cagle and Kemp) more concerned with exercising their power? Or with adopting policies that will create positive change for Georgia? How will Governor Deal protect his legacy? We hope he has made a choice to do what is best for Georgia.”

With the comments made by Deal and the Georgia Democratic Party today and the extremist positions of Brian Kemp and Casey Cagle, here is one thing both sides agree on: The policies and actions of Cagle and Kemp threaten to completely undermine the advances that Georgia has made over the past eight years.

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ICYMI: Cagle’s use of state-funded flights exceeds quarter of million dollars

By Aaron Holmes – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, July 03, 2018

GEORGIA — In his bid for governor, Casey Cagle has run as a fiscal conservative — but he regularly bills the state for air travel between Atlanta and his hometown 55 miles away, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation has found.

Records show that, when taking flights for state business, Cagle regularly had the state plane add extra legs to its trip in order to pick him up or drop him off in Gainesville, where he lives. Cagle had the plane fly from Atlanta to Gainesville to pick him up at least 59 times since 2010, and on at least 57 occasions, he had it drop him off in Gainesville before flying back to Atlanta, usually carrying other staffers from his office back to the capital.

Overall, Cagle and his staff took at least 413 state-funded flights between January 2010 and June 2018, according to a review of records kept by the Georgia Aviation Authority and the Georgia Department of Public Safety, racking up $264,999 in costs.

Nearly all those flights took off and landed within Georgia. The average length of flights taken by Cagle’s office is about 41 minutes, and at least 96 of the flights, including legs of larger trips, were shorter than 20 minutes.

In a statement to the AJC, Cagle’s campaign manager, Scott Binkley, said that Cagle’s air travel was necessary to meet with voters across the state. Cagle’s office has a policy of driving distances shorter than four hours, but Binkley said the office sometimes makes exceptions due to scheduling constraints.

Binkley also defended the fact that Cagle has added additional legs to pick him up or drop him off in Gainesville.

“The fact that the state’s air contractor flies out of Atlanta doesn’t mean state officials should only fly out of Atlanta,” Binkley said. “Usually when he flies out of Gainesville it’s because he’s leaving very early in the morning and returning home late at night.”

Cagle’s flying habits have drawn scrutiny in the past. In 2012, a Channel 2 Action News reporter confronted  Cagle about his tendency to fly between Gainesville and Atlanta.

At the time, Cagle said he had no idea his office was billed for adding the extra legs to flights, but his flying habits did not change: Since then, Cagle has taken dozens of flights with added legs to drop him off in Gainesville.

When reached for comment by Channel 2 for a report in March about elected officials taking flights, Cagle told the network he was not personally responsible for booking the flights.

Sara Henderson, the executive director of the nonpartisan watchdog group Common Cause Georgia, said she finds the lieutenant governor’s spending on air travel troubling.

“The optics to the voters are that you would rather spend our money to fly rather than do what normal people do, sit in traffic,” Henderson said. “Elected officials have to be as close to voters as possible, and it’s hard to do that from the sky. …

“The legality of this isn’t the point — he should be working as lieutenant governor to restore the faith of voters who already think that everyone in office is corrupt.”

While most of Georgia’s travel expenses come from car rentals and mileage reimbursements, the state’s constitutional officers and top lawmakers are allowed to use air travel for official business. Most state flights are chartered through private companies, but the state still owns and uses some helicopters.

In some cases, Cagle took taxpayer-funded flights to cities where he raised money for his gubernatorial campaign. On Nov. 10, 2016, for example, Cagle used a state plane to fly to Savannah and, the same day, the Cagle-aligned group Georgia Conservatives Fund raised $211,900 from donors in Savannah, eliciting a complaint from an ethics watchdog activist.

He also took a state flight to Thomasville on May 16, 2017, where he met with local business leaders, according to WCTV. Campaign finance records show that Cagle raised over $10,000 in donations from Thomasville residents that week. Binkley said that Cagle was in Thomasville primarily to discuss “rural broadband needs” in his capacity as lieutenant governor.

Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who is running against Cagle for the Republican nomination for governor, slammed him for his use of state flights. Kemp, who has been in office since 2010, has taken 11 taxpayer-funded flights in total. However, Kemp is one of two state officials granted a car allowance worth more than $7,000 per year.

“Career politician Casey Cagle flies around the state in private planes and helicopters, then sticks hardworking Georgians with the bill. Even worse, he’s used state aircraft multiple times to raise money for his gubernatorial campaign” Kemp spokesman Ryan Mahoney said. “Cagle needs to be held accountable for his extravagant living and shameful behavior.”

Cagle and Kemp will face off in the primary runoff election July 24, and early voting for the race opened Monday. The nominee will face Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams in November.

Cagle flights

413 — The number of flights Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and his staff took between January 2010 and June 2018

59 — The number of times since 2010 that Cagle had a plane fly from Atlanta to Gainesville, where he lives, to pick him up

57 — The number of times since 2010 that he had a state plane drop him off in Gainesville before flying bck to Atlanta

$264,999 — The cost to Georgia taxpayers for those flights

Sources: Georgia Aviation Authority and Georgia Department of Public Safety records

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Georgia Has Become an At-Risk Patient With Casey Cagle, Brian Kemp and the GOP leadership

$3 Billion Per Year is lost in Revenue by Refusing to Expand Medicaid

ATLANTA — “Casey Cagle, Brian Kemp, and the GOP leadership’s refusal to expand Medicaid has resulted in a loss of more than $3 billion a year in federal funds, making Georgia an ‘at-risk’ patient”, said Democratic Party of Georgia’s Chairman, Dubose Porter.  Porter’s statement follows confirmation from both Cagle and Kemp that regardless of the benefits of expanding Medicaid, both would prefer the same short-term “market-based” solutions. [1]

“Despite the irreversible harm that their stances would inflict on all Georgians, Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp have made it clear that they do not plan on lifting a finger to improve healthcare measures here in Georgia, further putting the lives of Georgians at risk,” said Democratic Party of Georgia Chairman, DuBose Porter. “It is time to elect leaders up and down the ballot who will commit to building a healthier, more prosperous Georgia.”

Right now, 240,000 Georgians make too little to buy health insurance on the marketplace and don’t currently qualify for Medicaid. [2] Additionally, six rural hospitals have closed since 2013 and more than half of the remaining rural hospitals remain financially vulnerable to closure. [3] Thirty-two other states across the U.S. have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, Georgia not being one of them. [4] Due to GOP leadership in Georgia and their inability to take advantage of the opportunity to expand Medicaid, Georgia ranks near the bottom-tier of states on many healthcare measures. [5]

By every moral, economic and health measurement available, one thing has become clear— Kemp and Cagle are both willing to put partisan politics above the needs and lives of Georgians.

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[1] (GBPI)

[2] (GBPI)

[3] (GBPI)

[4] http://www.georgiahealthnews.com/2018/01/expanding-coverage-part-leaders-legislative-agenda/

[5] http://www.georgiahealthnews.com/2018/01/expanding-coverage-part-leaders-legislative-agenda/

How Far Will Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp Go to Gut Public Education?

GEORGIA – Today, as more revelations surface about the extremist, con-artist nature of both Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp, questions arise about just how far both Republican gubernatorial candidates are willing to go to put politics over children, and to gut our public education system. Under the leadership of Cagle, Kemp, and their Republican allies, Georgia students and teachers have seen billions of dollars cut from public education over the last seven years alone, resulting in a loss of jobs for 9,000 teachers[i] and an increase in class sizes for over 95% of Georgia school districts.[ii]

We’ve heard Casey Cagle’s own admission that he backed a bill, HB 217, that he described as “bad in a thousand different ways” solely for political gain. However, voters didn’t hear that this bill diverted over $100 million dollars from public schools to private schools, further lowering public-school funding in the state of Georgia.

Not to be one-upped by Casey Cagle, Brian Kemp has proposed to DOUBLE the dangerous effects of HB 217.

With both Republican Gubernatorial candidates signaling an all-out assault on public education, the question becomes, just how far are they willing to go to put themselves and their secret donor friends over Georgia teachers and students?

“Both Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp are too dangerous for Georgia teachers, students, and parents,” said Democratic Party of Georgia Chair DuBose Porter. “Right now, Georgia ranks 35th in the nation in spending per public school student.[iii] With Cagle already looting more than $100 million dollars away from our public schools and Kemp threatening to double that absurd number, the only victims in the hostile Republican takeover of our schools are the students and teachers across the state who cannot get their basic educational needs met.”

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[i] Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. “State Education Cuts Still Linger for School Districts’. https://gbpi.org/2016/state-education-cuts-still-linger-for-school-districts/

[ii] Georgia Policy and Budget Institute. “Cutting Class to Make Ends Meet”. https://gbpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Cutting-Class-to-Make-Ends-Meet.pdf

[iii] Georgia Policy and Budget Institute. “Overview: 2016 Fiscal Year Budget for K-12 Education”. https://gbpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Overview-2016-K-12.pdf

Students, Teachers, Parents Protest Casey Cagle For Placing Politics over Georgia’s Children

ATLANTA – A group of students, teachers and parents chanted “hey hey, ho ho, Casey Cagle has got to go” and “bad for business, bad for schools” as they gathered outside of Casey Cagle’s campaign office to protest his self-admission that he put politics over Georgia’s children. The protest comes in light of Casey Cagle revealing that he backed a bill that he described as “bad in a thousand different ways” solely because it would deprive another candidate in the race of millions of dollars of support.

Across Georgia, the more voters hear about Casey Cagle’s greed and his preference for dark money donors over children’s education, the more they realize that his integrity is for sale.

“Casey Cagle basically admitted that he’s not going to do what’s best for public policy, what’s in the best interest of Georgia’s children, if it means that he gets his,” said educator Katrina Lowrey. “This is just what we know about. The question becomes how many other times has he done this? And how can we trust that as governor, he’ll put the best interest of Georgians over politics?”

“I am a public-school mom and teacher and I feel betrayed by Casey Cagle. Political ambition should never come at the cost of our kids’ education,” said teacher and concerned parent Tonya Grimmke. “I do not trust him to be Georgia’s next Governor. Stacey Abrams is the only candidate I trust with my student’s future.”

“Casey Cagle has already sold out our children,” said educator Chelsea Clements. “Why give him the opportunity to do it again, or worse?”

For photos from the protest, see below:

   

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State Representatives, Teachers, and Parents Agree: Casey Cagle Chose Politics over Georgia Children

ATLANTA — Today, Rep. Debra Bazemore and teachers Jennifer Young and Tonya Grimmke held a press conference at John C. Howell Park declaring Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle unsuited to be Governor of Georgia and deriding Cagle for putting politics over Georgia children.

The event was held at John C. Howell Park, across the street from Imman Middle School, a public school negatively affected by Cagle’s bad legislation. The speakers used Cagle’s own words, describing how the politician backed a bill that was “bad in a thousand different ways” for political gain, and that he put his own ambition over the people of Georgia.

The press conference comes on the heels of a leaked audio recording of Casey Cagle admitting that he supported a “bad” bill solely because it would deprive another candidate in the race of millions of dollars of support.

“What Cagle did was reprehensible. It is horrible. This cannot be explained away. I don’t see how you can even justify or explain affecting 1.7 million students in the state of Georgia by your actions,” said Rep. Debra Bazemore.

“This is unacceptable… I know a lot of people think that the governor’s race is out of their hands, but this affects your children, our teachers, our communities, and our neighborhoods. I hope that you listen to the words that come out of people’s mouths and realize that they are making decisions that can help you or hurt you,” said teacher Elizabeth Goldsmith.

“If the current climate continues and we have public officials willing to sell our kids out for personal gain, that situation’s going to get worse and worse… Casey Cagle admits he did the wrong thing for our kids and families,” said teacher and parent Tonya Grimmke.

Watch the Facebook Live video of the event at facebook.com/georgiademocrat.

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2018 Democratic SOS Nominee John Barrow, Georgia Democrats, and Business Owners Agree: Cagle, Kemp Wrong for Georgia Businesses and Families

ATLANTA — Today, Georgia Democratic Secretary of State nominee John Barrow, other prominent Georgia Democrats, and business owners agreed that neither Casey Cagle nor Brian Kemp are suitable candidates for Governor in the state of Georgia. Barrow stated that Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp are guilty of “willful neglect” when it comes to aiding Georgia businesses and declared them both thoroughly incompetent for office.

Flanked by State Senator Valencia Seay and State Representative Kimberly Alexander, Barrow and the speakers recounted several disastrous moves by Brian Kemp, whose office leaked the Social Security numbers of 6.5 million voters. Similarly, Casey Cagle has spent 24 years at the state capitol with virtually nothing to show for it- except for punishing the state’s biggest employer over a petty, political stunt. While describing the harmful policies of Cagle and Kemp, the speakers frequently invoked the words of former Republican Gubernatorial candidates Hunter Hill, Michael Williams, and Clay Tippins.

“I have had an opportunity to visit with and get to know the needs and concerns of the business community in this state,” said Barrow. “And I can tell you they are shocked and appalled at the prospect of people wanting to take the business climate that we have in Georgia- the product of generations of bipartisan leadership- to impose a narrow, partisan, ideological and often times religious viewpoint on their fellow citizens and the businesses that are doing business here in the state of Georgia.”

“Mr. Kemp and Mr. Cagle both have to live with the legacy cost of years of neglect on our educational infrastructure, and the current, willful neglect of the opportunity to take advantage of investments in healthcare that Georgia taxpayers are paying for- but not getting,” continued Barrow.

John Barrow’s statement echoes the statements made by other Democrats, as well as fellow Republican colleagues of Cagle and Kemp. In rare bipartisan consensus, both sides agree that the two remaining GOP candidates for the state’s highest office have been incompetent and/or negligent in their roles. They both represent a clear danger for Georgia families and businesses.

Further descriptions of Cagle and Kemp’s incompetence for office, in their fellow Republicans’ own words, may be found at WrongForGeorgia.com.

John Barrow’s full comments may be found here on YouTube.

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The Democratic Party of Georgia Unveils New Website Highlighting Cagle and Kemp’s Dangerous Track Records

GEORGIA — Today, the Democratic Party of Georgia released a new website highlighting statements made by state Republicans that Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp are wrong choices for everyday Georgians.

The new website, WrongForGeorgia.com, comes on the heels of the videos released yesterday on Kemp and Cagle, where state Republicans claim that both candidates are out-of-touch career politicians. Damning statements from former Republican candidates for Governor (Hunter Hill, Clay Tippins, and Michael Williams) detail the disastrous failures of both remaining GOP candidates for Georgia’s highest office.

Georgia Republicans have said that Kemp/Cagle are “bought and paid for,” guilty of “complete mismanagement of finances” and “bullying colleagues and citizens.”  Of Kemp, it’s been said “If you were in the private sector, you would be fired.”

One thing is for certain: Republicans agree that neither Kemp nor Cagle have what it takes to be the next Governor of the state of Georgia.

“Georgia Republicans are normally as useless as a steering wheel on a mule,” said DuBose Porter, Democratic Party of Georgia Chair. “Georgians deserve to know exactly what their Republican colleagues have said about them.”

“And in this case, we think they’re right: Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp are wrong for Georgia families and businesses.”

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Meet the GOP Gubernatorial Candidates

GEORGIA — Today, the Democratic Party of Georgia released two separate videos- one on Brian Kemp, the other on Casey Cagle– highlighting attacks both candidates received during the Republican gubernatorial primary election. Fellow Republicans’ claims about Kemp and Cagle covered a broad range of topics including abuse of power, misuse of taxpayer dollars, favoritism of special interests over Georgia families, potential government cover-ups, and utter incompetence.

With the GOP runoff seven weeks away, Democratic Party of Georgia Chair DuBose Porter says leaders from both parties can agree on one thing- Brian Kemp and Casey Cagle have too much baggage and far too many weaknesses to be considered credible, trustworthy candidates for Governor.

“Casey Cagle has been caught chartering flights like his own personal taxi service,” said Porter. “He’s forced the government to pick him up at his home airport and then forced Georgia taxpayers to pick up the tab. After paying $250,000 dollars to fly Mr. Cagle around the state, Democratic and Republican taxpayers have had enough.

“And Brian Kemp is too incompetent to manage the Secretary of State’s office,” continued Porter. “In charge of protecting our state’s voting records, his office was responsible for two of the largest data breaches in state history. More than 6 million Georgians had their Social Security numbers released, leaving hard-working citizens and businesses vulnerable to attack. Kemp has done nothing but fail at his current job.

“It is clear Republicans are left with two bad options to carry them into November.”

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DPG Chair DuBose Porter on Casey Cagle’s Secret Tape

GEORGIA – Democratic Party of Georgia Chair DuBose Porter releases the following statement regarding Casey Cagle’s admission that he passed bad legislation due to political ambition:

“The Casey Cagle that we heard in the audiotape is the same Casey Cagle that Georgians have gotten to know all too well over the past 28 years. The same Casey Cagle who willingly puts the politics of vouchers over improving the access and quality of education for Georgia children. The same Casey Cagle who has proven time and time again that he will do ANYTHING to win an election–even if it means selling out our children.

“This is the type of shady deal-making that has flourished under Cagle’s watch. He makes decisions based on politics and campaign contributions rather than what is in our best interests—In this case the 1.7 million Georgia children attending our public schools.

“To get Cagle to tell the truth, it requires a secret, closed-door meeting with somebody from whom he needs a favor. Apparently, this is the only type of setting where he can be honest.

“Cagle’s integrity is for sale, and his 28-years of back-room politics has taught him that dark money donors are more important than the needs of Georgia families.

“Some say that Cagle’s actions are despicable. Others say that this is a disturbing pattern. They’re both correct.

“He must answer very serious ethical and legal questions. He must explain to Georgia families without any of his trademark political spin.

“These recordings reveal the truth about Casey Cagle. He will put politics ahead of people to push his own political ambition, and that’s not the kind of leadership Georgians want in their next governor.”

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GAGOP to Trump – Let’s B BFFLS 4ever

GAGOP Trump Logo copy

 

Now that Donald Trump is the GOP’s presumptive nominee, Georgia Republicans are lining up to embrace a candidate who has proposed horrifying foreign policies—including the refusal to rule out the use of nuclear weapons on European territory. A candidate that labels Mexican immigrants as “rapists” and “criminals.” A candidate that has been endorsed by former KKK leader David Duke. And a candidate that has condoned and defended violence at his own campaign events.

 

The AJC reports that “Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, House Speaker David Ralston and Attorney General Sam Olens all sent word they would support the party’s nominee despite backing his rivals in the primary. So did Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue, and Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who each stayed out of the race for president…”

 

Democratic Party of Georgia Chair DuBose Porter issued the following statement on the shocking embrace of Donald Trump by Republican leaders.

 

“Donald Trump may be the most dangerous presidential candidate of our lifetime and the ruling class of the Georgia GOP seems perfectly fine with the impending chaos of a potential—yet improbable—Trump presidency. How on Earth could Johnny Isakson, David Perdue and the rest of that crew trust a volatile, divisive figure to lead the greatest armed forces in the World? How can they sleep at night with the looming prospect of Donald Trump being in possession of nuclear codes? It’s just beyond comprehension, and voters will hold Republicans accountable up and down the ballot in November. There is no doubt in my mind that Georgia will send another Democrat to the White House, with the temperament and judgement to keep our great country prosperous, safe and secure.”