Cross Posted from AJC.com. By Aaron Gould Sheinin. Continue to check here for updates on this developing story.
Nathan Deal far exceeded congressional limits on outside income and used his U.S. House office and staff to preserve a private stream of money coming from a no-bid state business deal, a report from the Office of Congressional Ethics has found.
The 138-page report, released Monday, is based on reporting from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution from August that Deal and a business partner made hundreds of thousands of dollars from the business and that Deal used his congressional office to try and prevent state officials from making significant changes to it.
Read the rest at the AJC. — Erick
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Is “cross posted” a new phrase that means “stolen in its entirety?”
Travis, I got permission directly from Sheinin.
And by that he means yes.
Deal is now tied with the Ox as the most corrupt candidate in the 2010 GA Gov race. There are only two acceptable choices in this race: Eric Johnson and Karen Handel. And only Eric will be able to handle Barnes in the debates.
Karen will defeat Barnes.
She has to defeat the Ox first. Which she isn’t doing at the moment.
Obviously you haven’t kept up with the polls or Ox’s peccadilloes. Don’t sell Karen short because she is a women with significant brain power, knowledge, skills, and abilities.
I believe that this will actually help Representative Scott. He is running on strong ethics.
I wouldn’t sell Karen Handel short. She’ll will do quite well in a debate with anyone. She is a street fighter and Johnson better watch out or he’ll be gutted and hung out to dry.
Just don’t put him in one of the closets at the Capitol to dry.
Oh my…..
Well that clears things up.
Not for Cagle. That thread is still waiting to be pulled to see how long it takes to unravel.
I wonder if Harris has a comment ready yet.
No comment. In the meantime, please check with my lawyer, I believe you have his number.
The Gainesville Times has a quote from Harris…
“This has always been a political witch hunt fueled by Democrats who fear that Roy Barnes will lose the governor’s race to Nathan Deal,” said spokesman Harris Blackwood. “In its own report, the Office of Congressional Ethics admits that its efforts were incomplete and it does not conclude that Mr. Deal did anything wrong. That’s because Nathan Deal did nothing wrong.”
Oh, well nevermind then. I guess Nathan Deal is innocent.
/Silly me
Non-starter status of this story goes to End-of-Report mode with the release of this report. Guess this eliminates last week’s Speculation-Du-Jour about disclosure during debate on this issue.
I don’t think your average voter can possibly overlook this sort of chicanery. Mr. Oxendine’s purported ethics issues pale in comparison.
Gonna be mighty interesting to see how this plays out in Camp Deal. Thanks goodness for GA’s colorful Ninth district or what would we have to talk about ‘roun heah?
Rep. Scott’s stock just rose doubly. He got good air in Atlanta on his proposal to eliminate the GA400 Toll, and now this!
Sure makes any upcoming debates more interesting.
The debates certainly will be more interesting. I feel sure that he and Representative Scott will engage in some very intense discussions about this matter. Something tells me.
On second thought, perhaps referring folks to the Committee on Standards and Conduct wasn’t the best strategy after all.
No comment.
I mean they released because they could, not that it was exactly proper. Remember the power of the Government is omnipotent.
File under: screwed, tagged, and buried.
Hysterical “filed under” words. Loved it!
Nothing says politically motivated like a report released after the resignation of a congressional member.
Additionally, Ox uses his office to take from the citizens of Georgia. Deal has never had a state contract, nor does he participate in the shake-down of sitting members of Congress.
I’m not sure “He’s not quite as bad as Ox” is what you really want on your bumper sticker.
No THAT goes on Roy Barnes bumper sticker!
Dude, Icarus, this is a politically motivated report pure and simple. Nothing at all could be factual in this because of that.
No comment on the veracity of the above statement with relation to any report that may or may not have been released today.
BTW: What is the over/under for Deal to begin using “this was a politically motivated report” as his official spin?
I am not sure if the Board of the Congressional Ethics Commission can be forced by a Democratic regime to release a report if they choose not to. I will ASSUME the Board is sovereign and can make that decision.
Sooooo, let’s examine the Board, shall we?
David Skaggs, Chairman D
David Evans Skaggs (born February 22, 1943) was a Democratic Congressman from the state of Colorado from 1987 to 1999.
Porter J. Goss, Co-Chairman R
Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989 until he took up his post at the agency.[1] Goss represented the Florida’s 14th congressional district, which includes Lee County, Fort Myers, Naples, and part of Port Charlotte. Republican
Yvonne Burke D
Democrat Yvonne Brathwaite Burke (born October 5, 1932) is a Democratic politician from Los Angeles, California, U.S. She was the Los Angeles County Supervisor from the 2nd district, a position she held from 1992-2008
Jay Eagen UNK
BiPartisan Mr. Eagen was sworn in by Speaker Nancy Pelosi as Chief Administrative Officer on January 4, 2007. He was originally sworn in by Speaker Newt Gingrich on July 31, 1997
Karan English D
A Democrat, English represented Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, which in the 1990s included much of Mesa, Scottsdale and northeast Arizona.
Bill Frenzel R
Republican Mr. Frenzel was the Ranking Minority Member on the House Budget Committee, and was the principal Republican economic spokesperson in the House
Allison Hayward UNK
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF LAW ALLISON HAYWARD previously worked as Chief of Staff and Counsel in the office of Federal Election Commission Commissioner Bradley A. Smith. Prior to this, Professor Hayward practiced election law in California and in Washington DC.
In 1994-1995, Professor Hayward was a judicial clerk for the Honorable Danny J. Boggs, United States Court of Appeal for the Sixth Circuit.
She is a member of the State Bar of California, the District of Columbia Bar, United States Supreme Court Bar, and the Eastern District of California Bar.
Abner Mikva Guess D
Appointed by President Carter to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
4 of the 8 are Dems, with one unknown Geo Mason lawyer and a bipartisan fellow.
Unconvincing to me that this is purely a political move, but then, who knows, right? I don’t think that this will bode well for Team Deal.
Sarah,
“Deal has never had a state contract”
Are you a fool? Blind? Family member? Or work for the campaign?
The whole DEAL was his no-bid contract with the state that resulted in huge profits for him and his “business partner” and his efforts to keep the money flowing when the Revenue Commissioner started smelling the stink.
Please go to hookedonphonics.com or rosettastone to help with your reading problems. Then, read all 168 pages. Or don’t. Because he never owned a salvage yard and inspected cars as part of A CONTRACT WITH THE STATE!!!
Regardless of the timing or the release of the report, it still does not negate the fact that there were ethics violations committed by Mr. Deal. You can whine all day about political motivation and timing all you want; however, I think that we, the voters, need to know every little thing about these candidates that is humanly possible. I guess the real question one needs to ask is why or how did he allow himself to get into this mess in the first place. Seems to me that a grown man or experienced politician would have known better. To try to dismiss his actions by saying the report was all politically motivated is an argument that you can’t win.
Real Done Deal.
Deal’s a walking corpse in this race, but he’s a corpse with some money to spend.
At this point, his campaign will be nothing but a low budget sequel to Weekend at Burnie’s.
True. Now I guess we know why he wanted everything referred to his attorney, huh? BTW, the absolute worse bracket season I have ever had. How ’bout you?
If West VA wins one more game, I win.
Great job, Doug. I, unfortunately, picked Kentucky so my bracket was busted on Saturday. Was doing great until then. I almost picked Duke and wish I had now. Good luck with West Virginia.
+1
is it a little difficult for you to write that phrase doug, it would make me shuder a little?
The walking corpse part or the horrible movie from the 80s part? It’s an old expression, here being used to describe a campaign that should know it’s over, but instead walks around like a zombie eating brains.
As for the reference to weekend at Bernie’s, for that I am truly sorry.
i sort meant it in the same way you have problems with the show “deal or no deal”
Don’t get me started. Don’t even get me started.
Adiós muchacho!
So what is the fallout here for Casey Cagel?
I have a feeling that before all is said and done that there will be fallout for Mr. Cagle, just my opinion.
Maybe Michael Steele needs to sit them down and tell them to behave. I can think of no better place for him to take them to eat than the Alluvia Restaurant in Atlanta.
based on the most recent rnc spending reports steele might prefer lunch at cheetah’s…
No, I think Alluvia is better. Even if the credit card receipt says “International Grill”. Or so I’m told.
o.k. i’m a dunce, i guess that’s what i get for not living in atl. it’s apparently all one and the same…
In this case not knowing is a good thing!
After blowing all the RNC cash on first class air travel, lavish meals, and stays at high end resorts Mr. Steele might have to settle for T&T Steakhouse. And if any of you know what that is, you’re a real dirtbag.
but if you are mentioning it, don’t you know what it is?
No need to throw stones at our legislators. Who doesn’t enjoy a good piece of meat?
of course it has just come to my attn. that one of tiger’s alledged mistresses will be performing at the pink pony during master’s week…
i guess none of the establishments in augusta were “classy” enough…
That place is below even Jim Cole.
And Dr. Jay…I plead the 5th.
After dinner, they can go shopping for footwear at the Spring Street Shoe Show.
tick tock, tick-tock, tick-tock
Only time will tell if this makes a difference on the race. Most voters don’t pay attention until election day. ;-p
Sadly, the lady is correct. I bet a full 50+% of registered voters do not know this year will elect a new governor.
Not to mention that we don’t even get the AJC down here. A lot of the topics discussed on Peach Pundit never show up on/in the South or Southeast Georgia news shows or newspapers.
That’s Ox’s plan for carrying the counties south of Macon.
Most of Atlanta doesn’t get the AJC; it just isn’t worth reading.
Kellie….I have to agree………totally biased reporting if you ask me…….it depends on who is stuffing their pockets.
I’m sure some the candidates will send out some direct mail pieces, as a public service, to accommodate the voters who don’t happen to be AJC subscribers.
They are thoughtful that way.
Lawton,
Sad AND true.
“If ignorance is bliss, then Roy Barnes will be our governor.”
isn’t this really kinda a moot point, since he’s no longer a congressman, is there any way to admonish him, it’s almost an imaginary violation now that he is no longer under their auspices, right?
It’s moot for Congress, not for the voters.
even for the average voter i would expect this to be a bit of a yawner, since he is not even in congress anymore, 0ther won’t be any fine or calls for him to resign and such…
Well even the voters are sleeping, the contributors are wide awake. I wouldn’t want to be on his Finance Committee.
Unfortunately he’s already amassed a campaign fund larger than the GDP of some 3rd world countries.
This sucks for Deal.
We’re smelling November victory over on our side of the aisle. You criminals, er, Republicans keep up the good work!
Remember when a couple of months ago everyone on this blog was a-twitter about the OX and Oscar tickets and Wayne Reece and numerous other shakedowns, not to mention his poor aim while hunting, so where did all that go? OX is still ahead. Deal will survive this. Handel and Johnson need their own scandal to get their name out there.
Voters aren’t paying attention yet. When campaign season gets into full swing, you can bet that all of these issues will end up in campaign commercial after campaign commercial. No one’s competition is going to let anything slide into the background.
Exactly, now is the time to figure out each candidates’ weaknesses and strengths, not to exploit it to the point that they implode. That time is coming in another couple of months.
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