A federal grand jury subpoenaed records and testimony from a top state official last month involving gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal and a business arrangement he had with the state for nearly 20 years.
Could be nothing, but you better believe that the Democrats will make it into something should Deal be the nominee. The specter of a federal grand jury investigation is never a good thing for a candidate running for office.
Georgia Revenue Commissioner Bart Graham was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury in June, according to documents obtained Tuesday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution through the Georgia Open Records Act.
Deal’s attorney, Randy Evans, said Tuesday evening that his client has not been subpoenaed and is not the subject of an investigation. “We became aware of an investigation and my office inquired if the U.S. attorney considered Nathan Deal to be a target, and we were told no,” Evans said. He declined to say anything further regarding the inquiry.
The subpoena, issued May 24 by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McBurney, ordered Graham to appear June 8 and provide documents “concerning the contents of the sidebar discussion between Commissioner Graham and then-U.S. Representative Nathan Deal” last year in the office of the governor’s chief of staff. The AJC reported last year that Deal called the meeting in the hope of preserving his business with the state.
That Deal hasn’t been informed doesn’t surprise me. Most grand jury investigations go on awhile collecting evidence until they decided there is a “there” there.
Remember, though, the House of Representatives found Deal had six ethics violations, but Deal’s resignation rendered that finding moot.
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This is a joke. You are the founder of this rag and can do whatever you want, but you really are turning this blog into a laughing stock.
Why is this a joke? There is no way the media and Democrats (never mind Handel) will not play this to deny Deal the job. Unfair, maybe, but that’s how it goes.
This is more about Bart Graham’s possible wrongdoing than Nathan Deal’s:
“Georgia Revenue Commissioner Bart Graham was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury in June, according to documents obtained Tuesday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution through the Georgia Open Records Act.
Deal’s attorney, Randy Evans, said Tuesday evening that his client has not been subpoenaed and is not the subject of an investigation. “We became aware of an investigation and my office inquired if the U.S. attorney considered Nathan Deal to be a target, and we were told no,” Evans said. He declined to say anything further regarding the inquiry.
The subpoena, issued May 24 by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert McBurney, ordered Graham to appear June 8 and provide documents “concerning the contents of the sidebar discussion between Commissioner Graham and then-U.S. Representative Nathan Deal” last year in the office of the governor’s chief of staff. The AJC reported last year that Deal called the meeting in the hope of preserving his business with the state.
The same day the subpoena was issued, Graham met in his Department of Revenue office with an FBI agent and McBurney.”
A more appropriate title would have been “Federal grand jury investigating Bart Graham…”
Provocateur,
Nice spin, Deal made real money off this inside deal. Always follow the money!
Nathan Deal made it hard to follow the money as he failed to list his outside income on his annual federal disclosure forms as he is required to do. He’s an attorney, what part of “Did you or your spouse have any earned income of more than $200 from any reportable source during the reporting period” did he not understand?
The legitimate news headline is that Commissioner BART GRAHAM has been supoenaed…….
No KariDee, Erick got it right the first time.
Look what I found as I did a little research on the internet about “Karen Handel” and “Bart Graham”. This was probably the genisis of Handel-Graham demonic relationship. Poor Fulton County property owners, Graham and Handel really put the boot to their throats.
http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2005/09/19/story4.html
Thanks SFrazier! Good post!
I hope they throw Graham in Jail. How evil is Handel and Graham to conspire to bring down a veteran and drag his good name though the mud. The whole Chapman camp is on board to bring down Karen Handel. They basically raised taxes in Fulton. Thanks Ms. Handel, you are no friend to Georgia small businesses.
DOKES,
Who is the alledged veteran you are referring to that Karen is dragging through the mud, as no veteran is listed in FRASIER’s article.
As for the whole Chapman camp, what is a link to support that statement? Where is your link that Karen raised taxes? You can’t produce any links because you are posting lies again as truth.
In JAMES SALIZAR’s article in the AJC, the topic being discussed, it mention’s Congressman Nathan Deal. You can support Sec. Handel all you like, but you should not dismiss the fact that Congressman Deal was in the military. By wearing the uniform, you should at least respect him in that regard.
By the way, DEAL CAMPERS, not only did Karen take 61 counties to Deal’s 38 counties, Karen was first or second in 133 counties out of 159. Deal can’t make that claim.
You are a good soldier LT.
I try.
It would be nice if we determined who won an election by previous election results with more than two candidates running. The whole purpose for a run off is to narrow it down to the top two vote getters and let them run head to head. It doesn’t matter how many counties are won and who came in second in the previous election. Are you going to imply that winning Dade County is just as important as winning Fulton County? The reality is they count the total number of votes. Nothing more, nothing less.
SFRAZIER, KARIDEE, AND MDOKES:
Nice spin to try to take the spotlight off Deal’s lastest legal troubles and to cast a cloud over Karen, of which she is innocent.
I pulled up the link you posted and KAREN is the one who brought this problem to the public attention. Karen has stated repeatedly that she wants transparency in government and this article proves that in 2005, she made this issue public.
Here is an excerpt to people wanting the truth to read and decide for themselves, not the poison the Deal camp posts as truths.
“The business community has been very quiet,” said Fulton County Commission Chairwoman Karen Handel, the driving force behind the audit. “If you look at where the appraisals are most grossly mismanaged, it is on the commercial side.”
Handel said commercial properties in Fulton have been underassessed for years, a problem that may have cost the county millions of dollars in lost revenue and could take a bite out of businesses’ bottom lines if corrected.
Handel, the only commissioner to call for the resignation of all five members of the Fulton Board of Assessors following the Aug. 29 release of the audit report, said she wants an independent review of all 288,000 parcels in the county — including the 21,000 commercial parcels, which are valued at $93.2 billion and generate more than half of Fulton’s property tax digest.
Read more: Businesses silent on property tax audit results – Atlanta Business Chronicle
Please LT, you all are tryng to spin this with the lying spin doctor Erickson. This is about Bart being bullied into mis leading an investigation. Me thinks it was because her boss(Karen Handel) bullied him.
RR,
Wake up from that dream world you are living in. Deal is doing this to himself. He is arrogant, a bully, and he obviously doesn’t women because if he did, he would have reeled you and the other Deal campers in a long time ago.
LT you are just as goofy as RR on this one. Show me any candidate anywhere that can control what his or her supporters do. You are just silly on this one. Silly, I tell you. Silly.
And you are getting almost as bad as Bart Simpson at calling other people names….
Directly from the subpoena:
” YOU ARE ALSO COMMENDED to bring with you the following documents(s) or object(s). Any and all information, documentary, or otherwise, concerning the contents of the sidebar discussion between Commissioner Graham and then-US Representative Nathan Deal at the March 27, 2009 meeting in Ed Holcombe conference room”
Commended? are they congratulating or honoring him via a grand jury subpoena?
Erick,
“Federal Grand Jury Investigating Nathan Deal” … Trying to make the The Truth-O-Meter twice in one week?
http://www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2010/jul/28/erick-erickson/redstatecom-blogger-said-nathan-deal-voted-fund-ab/
Nice find, Zigmaster.
Not to threadjack, but why no discussion of the PolitiFact article that fact-checked claims made by the author of this particular front page entry?
I don’t see one.
The joke is that Erick is a “schill” for “Sonny-In-A-Skirt” and he, not Democrats, are using inuendo to damage our probable Republican nominee against Roy Barnes.
Nathan Deal is not being investigated, but that doesn’t matter to Erick. He accuses Deal and Oxendine of negative politics, but does something worse here.
I appreciate your work in RedState, Erick, and the work you are doing to elect conservatives across the country. I agree with you most of the time, but for some reason you have lost all means of fairness in this race, and your reputation has been sullied.
I can’t believe we dodged the bullet with Ox only to have Deal emerge as the Georgia version of Chicago’s former Governor.
The voting public doesn’t tolerate politicians that find ways to steal money from taxpayers while claiming to “represent” them.
Apparently, neither do the Feds!
Captain Jack, you are drinking too much rum. Your gal is gowing down and the only thing you and your fellow supporters of the “Sonny-In-A-Skirt” have left to do in the next 13 days is cast false accusations against a good man. Nathan will win the runoff, and I would guess that the uneasy feeling in your gut already tells you this.
And that Chicago doesn’t have a Governor.
In fact, Illinois has had FOUR governors to be arrested and convicted.
lukethedrifter,
I wonder if some of you have real issues dealing with strong competent women. It is one thing to disagree with Karen, but you guys usually refer to her in a disrespectful manner from your gal…….
Is this how you treat women?
I deal with “strong competent women” everyday as the husband of one and the father of two. They are all three great “gals.”
I couldn’t care less if “Sonny-In-A-Skirt” is a “guy” or a “gal.” She will be the third administration of Sonny Perdue. How has that turned out for us? Besides the possibility of future trade relations with Communist Cuba and Go Fish, we really don’t have a lot to show for the past 8 years at the helm of this state.
Luke,
Why do you believe Karen will continue Sonny’s policies? What is the basis for your comments? If you don’t want to vote for Karen, fine, I will not try to change your mind, but I am really interested in why you think the way you do.
Men not comfortable with their own masculinity often have issues with strong, spirited women that they can not control. They are referred to as bit**** or someone that is trying to act tough like a man. I would like to see a “tough” man experience child birth..Sexism is rapant on the blog in regard to Handel’s candidancy. I have not seen posters stating that someone is just such and such in trousers. We saw the same thing when Hillary ran for President..Big double standard out there.
I agree with you, debbie. There is such a huge double standard. I don’t vote for someone because of the way they look, their gender, their race, or their sexual orientation. I vote for the person that I feel will do the best job.
As far as your comment about childbirth, well, I’ve always been told that if men were responsible for having children that they would only have one and never even consider having another.
Good comments poli.
Problems with strong, spirited women? No.
Problems with lying women who put on a front of being “strong and spirited” as some excuse for why people don’t like them? Yes.
D’ya wonder why we are still chatting up abortion and there exists Federal Funding for Viagra?
Just curious.
Sorry. I didn’t see your question to me until now. I do find it a little odd — down right strange. I do have a question for you, why do they always show older people getting in the mood outside. I mean if some oldies decide to get their groove on outside, do any of us really want to see that? I sure as heck don’t!
There is that. I dunno, I never trusted marketing folks.
I realize it’s their job to make everything seem wonderful and marvelous; however, some things should remain unseen and some thoughts should not be brought to mind.
Well, Handel did vote for funding a program for Planned Parenthood to offer cervical cancer and breast cancer screenings with tax dollars. So, I consider Viagra a fair financing. Don’t you, Balz?
Nathan Deal was the author of the provision that REMOVED federal funding for Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs.
Here is the bill text. It was later incorporated into a Katrina relief bill as a payfor:
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:h3543ih.txt.pdf
My wife is relieved!
I am a strong, very spirited women, with a tad of meanness running through by veins. Ask my husband.
Good post Debbie.
John,
As you know, misogynists are terrified of strong, competent women and that is why we are getting the “Handel Hoes” and the “Mustang Sally” sexual innuendoes.
These comments are offensive to the women posting on this site but I don’t see the moderators addressing this issue. While I realize the moderators want to support the First Amendment freedom of speech, this crosses the line and I feel they should address the degrading sexual comments being made on PP.
What about it moderators? Are you going to allow some of the posters to continued this degrading name calling?
Speaking of how people treat women:
The face of Team Handel, Erick Erickson, has made repeated attacks on strong, competent women (or “Feminazis” to use Erick’s term). On his Twitter account, Erick has made numerous sexist statements:
After an anti-abortion ad during this year’s Super Bowl, Erick wrote, “that’s it?!?! That’s what the feminazis were enraged over? Seriously?!? Wow. That’s what being too ugly to get a date does to your brain,” and “Thus ends the credibility of all pro-abortion groups. Thanks Mrs. Tebow for that. Ugly feminists return to their kitchens.”
The next day, Erickson wrote, “Turned on twitter today and there was a barrage of angry feminists upset with me telling them to get in the kitchen and learn to cook;” “Good thing I didn’t suggest the feminists … you know … shave. They’d be at my house trying a post-birth abortion on me;” and “Feminists have no sense of humor, but clearly God did in creating feminists.”
I saw that too. Frankly, Erick and the Democrats are becoming ‘besties’.
I said this awhile back, now that the GOP abandoned fiscal conservation, why must I apologize for them at the dinner table.
While I maintain that the GOP represents most of the core values that I hold dear, Erick’s comments are not helpful.
I wonder how much of this rhetoric is designed to drive traffic, regardless of consequence. Schilling for web hits at who’s expense?
Excellent post Captain Jack.
LT,
I assume you disagree with Erick that feminists are “too ugly to get a date” and that God displayed a “sense of humor” in “creating feminists,” correct?
I also hope you agree with me that abortion jokes couldn’t be less funny.
Has Karen Handel ever said anything to distance herself from these overtly sexist comments or these “jokes” about murdering a human being in the womb?
Thank YOU!
Handel and her people are godless.
What link did you read that on FRAZIER or are you spreading lies again?
Now, thats funny, B.
Danke’. What is the web site that you used to research the Bill that Rep. Deal authored removing Viagra from Federal funding?
That could be useful to my advocacy, please and thank you.
There are a few people on here that would never believe anything that Karen had to say so rather that read PP and try to respond to the negative comments, she is working hard to send Deal into retirement, where he needs to be.
Then Karen will work hard for the citizens on the critical issues facing our state and make so much of a difference that she will easily win four more years.
Jack Kingston endorsed Nathan Deal yesterday.
Erick Erickson… does your wife know about all the action you’re getting from Karen Handel?
over the top
+1000
Was that necessary ACC?
Are you accusing them of adultry?
Democrats have a long-standing practice of getting a liberal DA to impanel a grand jury to investigate a Republican on something at the level of jaywalking.
Whether the target is ever convicted or not is not the point – the point is to use the legal system to taint a conservative during a campaign whether or not anything illegal has actually been done.
The use of this tactic by the Handel campaign and/or its shills just reinforces the liberalism of the candidate. Not good in a Republican primary.
Why aren’t the Handel sycophants advocating for their candidate based on issues instead (economy, illegal immigration, taxes, spending, resisting unwanted Federal initiatives, etc.)? Until real evidence of real felonious wrongdoing is produced, this kind of stuff (like the stupid binder) doesn’t help Handel look like she is a mature, conservative candidate.
If it’s so long standing how about providing two examples.
Not a DA, but working for Pelosi, the OCE announced an investigation of several members of the congressional finance committee about fundraising prior to the committee vote. Two of the republicans included for cover received only $4000 in donantions from finance related pacs prior to the vote — and their positions were well known.
Why include them? I’m sure we could come up with other examples.
MS Bass,
I did post her issues in their entirely on the Deal Abortion/Handel Log Cabin blog. Did you see them?
Was that in the Four Part novelette?
“The House of Representatives found Deal had six ethics violations”???
Erick, a support agency of Congress (the OCE) making a recommendation that the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct investigate a matter further does not equal the “House of Representatives found Deal had six ethics violations.”
You have officially jumped the shark. Good luck restoring what remains of your intellectual honesty.
Well…no one should wonder why a lawyer like Erick decides to leave the practice of law to jump into “entertainment land.” He apparently wasn’t a very good lawyer who could understand facts, assumptions, and conclusions.
If I were making an Erick Erickson style post, then I would claim to have a 3″ binder full of undeniable proof of the ethical violations that were going to be used against Erick at his disbarment hearing, and then I would claim that is why he was forced to make the switch to blogging.
Erick, what you are talking about is a vote of censure. If you can find a vote of censure against Deal, then I will admit that you were not intentionally misleading the public.
Wasn’t Newt accused and admitted guilt of an ethical violation dealing with switching around 4 words in a textbook?
I’m surprised Erick hasn’t brought that up.
“Did we give up when the Germans bombed pearl harbor?”
“NO!!”
“Forget it, he’s rolling.”
GR8T! Best post of the day!
Ditto. Clever use of a great quote.
“Well, what the hell we supposed to do, ya moron?”
I can play this game of semi-relevant movie quotes ALLLLL day.
We need it, things around here are more tense than a mongoose on crack.
Is this mongoose snorting crack an experiment going on in some college lab?
Speaking of mongoose — have you ever seen one battling with a snake? When we lived in Hawaii, I had the opportunity to witness one. Quite a sight!! Sorry, I digressed.
Did you have your money on the snake or the mongoose, Poli?
Ha ha!! All I can remember is my parents telling me to swing higher and keep going. The snake and mongoose were fighting right under my swing set. I was five and still remember my parents yelling and hearing that mongoose making noises. If I am not mistaken, the mongoose won!
Deal. Real. Corrupt.
Very true TPN.
Now, which of two candidates has had FOUR ethics complaints filed against him/her this month? Was it Deal or was it Handel?
Oh, I remember now; it was Handel who had the four ethics complaints filed against her this month…and this last one could involve criminal charges.
Peachpundit has convinced me to vote for Deal on August 10 but if he does not win then I may have a tough decision between Monds and Barnes in November.
As a Handel supporter, I would probably vote for Deal if he gains the nomination, but either way it looks like the GAGOP is going to come out of this cycle in a fractured condition. It’s been developing for awhile…the reformers against the status-quo. There are some in each camp (including congressmen) who would try to use a loss to try and reshape the party more to their own liking.
These “reformers” you speak of are wearing the same colors and headdresses that the Bushies wore during GWB’s presidency.
In short, they are not “reformers.” That definition is a Trojan Horse.
My definition of a reformer is anyone who is not for politics-as-usual.
I agree with Harry’s point of view on this topic, except for willingly taking a loss this cycle.
We are fractured, and it may cost us this election, that’s for sure.
Then you gotta ask yourself why it is that Sonny is backing Karen so much because his “reform” was a pile of horse manure that he proposed when he ran for office but didn’t reform one thing.
I plan to vote for Karen Handel on the 10th, but the coverage on here has gotten ridiculous.
The pro-Deal news is either not covered (NRA endorsement) or reported after the fact and in the midst of anti-Deal posts (Kingston endorsement).
This is the best political blog in the state. Not even a close second. Please keep it that way.
Reason shall return on November 5th. We hope this will not inconvenience anyone, please come back to see us..
ditto what JHfP said.
too much Handel mania around here of late…
Seriously, we knew about this for months. It’s why the guy quit Congress with his tail between his legs. And no one thought it might crop up again?
Surely the crack DC team around garage mechanic Nathan Deal have thought of a better answer than Randy Evan’s response.
Or maybe they can’t respond and have to let the lawyer speak to try and keep more evidence from coming out…
Oh, we’re supposed to just gloss over the fact that Deal has been earning $150,000 a year off this no-bid, illegal contract scheme for 20 years now. Taxpayer dollars.
Deal. Real. Corrupt.
http://oce.house.gov/disclosures/Review_No_09-1022_Referral_to_Standards.pdf
CobbGOPer,
Here’s the report. Please show us where he got tax payer dollars. $100 contribution to the candidate of your choice if you can show where the report concluded any wrong doing. In the mean time, you spin more than a carnival ride.
I’ll take that action and double it. $300 to the candidate of your choice, CobbGOPer.
Still waiting….
http://www.peachpundit.com/2010/07/28/federal-grand-jury-investigating-nathan-deal/comment-page-1/#comment-256210
This little investigation is going to also be dropped at Lt Governor Casey Cagle’s door. As I recall, he was involved in the deal to get the money for Deal back into the budget when it had already been removed
Um, the Federal Grand Jury is looking into Deal’s salvage yard relationship with the state… I wonder how many Republicans want to share a ballot with that?
Thanks, but NO DEAL.
Apparently the vast, vast majority of the Republicans in the state do since they are endorsing him over Handel.
“Facts are stubborn things.” -John Adams
Look when the headline in the paper reads:
“CANDIDATE SAYS NOT TARGET OF FEDERAL PROBE” I don’t care what the article says candidate aint’gonna win.
So, what was the headline in the AJC?
DEAL SAYS NOT TARGET OF FEDERAL PROBE
Ding, thanks for playing. Now what parting gifts do we have for the candidate?
Regardless of how Aug 10 turns out, November 4th is the goal to make. Are you so sure that a Rep. Deal loss maintains a GOP win?
I am not.
Over the last five months, the Rasmussen polls have shown Mr. Deal with a six and a seven point lead over Barnes and Karen Handel actually losing within the margin of error. (She was up one point with a three point margin of error.)
I don’t believe that the Dem’s are as energized to vote in November as they were in 2008. If the polls hold true, the GOP may prevail in November, but not without some risk based on the candidate.
Interesting.
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