Things David Perdue Won’t Do: Debate Jon Ossoff, Face Local Media, Require Masks At Events

Abdication of accountability comes as COVID cases escalate, Perdue faces renewed scrutiny for corrupt self-dealing

ATLANTA — Today, despite calls for Senator David Perdue to mandate mask-wearing at his campaign events, Perdue is hosting an event without requiring masks, refusing to follow CDC guidelines and put Georgians’ safety first. This latest show of recklessness and ducking of accountability as COVID cases in Georgia rise has added to already widespread backlash from Perdue’s refusal to accept a single debate with Jon Ossoff or speak with members of Georgia’s press and take public questions from his constituents.

Nearly three weeks into the January runoff, Perdue has failed to tell Geogians why he is running for reelection and refused to confront his failure to secure additional relief for Georgia families or his disastrous record of working to strip away critical health care protections for Georgians. 

Now, after several devastating reports reminded Georgians of Perdue’s pattern of looking out for himself and his special interest friends, Perdue’s continued refusal to answer Georgians’ questions about his record only escalates scrutiny of his corruption in Washington.

ProPublica reported that Perdue has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the owners of professional sports clubs and their families and privately pushed for wealthy sports owners to receive a lucrative tax break. And The Daily Beast exposed Perdue for yet another stock trading scandal in which he bought stock in a company that made submarine parts, helped shape legislation that directed Navy funding for one of the company’s products, and sold off the stock, earning him “tens of thousands of dollars in profits.”

While “the scandal-plagued” senator continues to hide from Georgians, key pandemic relief programs are set to expire in a little over a month, putting more than 330,000 Georgia workers at risk of losing their unemployment benefits as the coronavirus crisis continues to surge.

“Georgians are simply calling on Senator Perdue to do the bare minimum –– abide by CDC guidelines, debate his opponent and tell Georgians why he is running for a second term in Washington,” said Braxton Brewington, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia. “If Perdue can’t do that, he doesn’t deserve to represent Georgia families.”

###