Your morning jolt: Nathan Deal’s quick exit from the Temple debate
On Tuesday evening, Dale Russell of Fox5 News unloaded a report saying that Republican nominee Nathan Deal – while a member of Congress — tried to persuade Hall County officials to take over maintenance of a private road near his salvage business:
Here’s the Associated Press synopsis:
Atlanta — While north-Georgia Republican Nathan Deal was in Congress, he and a top aide tried to persuade Hall County officials to take over maintenance of a private road that runs past Deal’s auto salvage yard and ends at another property Deal was seeking to rezone.
According to a report by WAGA-TV, Deal’s then-chief of staff Chris Riley sent e-mails to county officials on his House of Representatives e-mail account, inquiring about the effort. House ethics rules prohibit using government resources for private gain.
The station also said Deal appeared in person before county officials to start the process.
The road request was followed by a rezoning request by Deal’s auto salvage business to turn the 137 acres of property at the end of the road into a landfill. The property ended up being rezoned.
Deal’s lawyer Randy Evans told Fox 5 the contact did not violate House ethics rules because Riley did not specifically ask for anything and was gathering information on behalf of a constituent.
“The important part is, did you ask for action? Did you ask for something? And the answer to that is, it didn’t happen here,” Evans said.
The AP was unable to reach Evans for comment Tuesday night. It was not clear from the TV station’s report whether the county ended up taking over maintenance of the road.
Professor Harvey Newman, chairman of Georgia State University Department Public Management and Policy, said such behavior crosses an ethical boundary and erodes public trust in public officials.
“It’s the use of a public office and the abuse of that public office in time, equipment and personnel that is inappropriate for public officials,” Newman told the TV station.
Earlier this year, the Office of Congressional Ethics said Deal’s lobbying of state officials in 2008 and 2009 to preserve a lucrative state arrangement for his auto salvage business may have violated House ethics rules by using official resources for his private gain. Deal met three times with state Revenue Commissioner Bart Graham.
Deal refused to answer reporters’ questions following a debate Tuesday night in Atlanta.
The Fox5 report aired just as several hundred people were settling down at the Temple in Atlanta to watch a feisty debate among the three candidates for governor: Democrat Roy Barnes, Republican Nathan Deal, and Libertarian John Monds.
The Deal campaign apparently had decided beforehand that any comment by the candidate would only give additional legs to the Fox5 report. Aides hustled Deal out the door without a word.
Below is post-debate video from a state Democratic party tracker, of reporters in pursuit of Deal:
You can expect to see the above clip again and again in a TV ad near you.
***
Meanwhile, expect Republicans to focus on economics today. From the state GOP this morning:
The Savannah Morning News has quantified Barnes’ campaign pledges at $2.2 billion per year, meaning his governorship would cost voters over $8 billion in campaign promises alone.
How will Roy Barnes pay for his binge-spending plans? He’s only proposed elimination of one tax exemption, the tax exemption on jet fuel, worth $24 million and barely 1% of his new spending.
Barnes also proposed a plan to allow local governments to collect sales taxes, but he disagrees with his own campaign manager on the amount of revenue it would bring in.
Even the most optimistic estimates fall far short of balancing the budget with his pie-in-the-sky promises of massive new spending.
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106 comments Add your comment
Aquagirl
October 13th, 2010
9:11 am
I can’t wait to hear how the radical left-wing FOX news is unfairly slandering poor Nathan Deal.
C’mon, Deal staff, let’s hear the spin on this one.
Billy Hill
October 13th, 2010
9:16 am
I’m a Rpublican and I’m plum ashamed. I said there was no way I’d vote a crooked Deal, but I did. When I got to the pole I kept thinking of what someone said about a crooked Republican Governor would better than a Democratic Governor. I’ve had voters remorse ever since. After seeing Dale’s report, I feel even worse about voting for Deal.
Roy has my vote
October 13th, 2010
9:16 am
I saw the I-Team report on Nathan and thought that was disgusting. But watching Nathan Deal run for the exit like a coward is even worse. What a pathetic excuse for a human being. Nathan Deal is not the Blago of the South. He’s worse.
findog
October 13th, 2010
9:16 am
Hall County probably took over maintenance of a poorly built road so that they could bring it up to commercial standards. They got three things in Hall: chickens, landfills, and helpful politicians…
Transmission lines
October 13th, 2010
9:18 am
What was the story on the utility zoning and his property? http://www.hopeofgeorgia.com/?script=articles/view&id=1AAD2BBC70CE46E6B4A175D53C14FF1F
bart
October 13th, 2010
9:19 am
Every day or two we get another story about a sleazy, unethical action that Mr. Deal has been involved in. The man is a crook, and yet it seems many Georgians are willing to overlook all of his shenanigans to make him governor. When he gets to be governor, there is no telling what under the table, illegal actions he will be involved in — with our money — to get himself out of debt. The man seems to have no sense of right and wrong. Just goes to show you can fool most of the people if they are willing to look the other way. Our great state deserves better than this.
bait
October 13th, 2010
9:20 am
teachers better wake up; Deal is planning on cutting salaries even further. Where is a Zell Miller type candidate? Is this the best that GA can do for governor?
findog
October 13th, 2010
9:35 am
Congressman Deal needs to come out with a sharp denial like, “The charges against me are, if you’ll pardon the expression, damned lies. In the State of Georgia today, we have more than our share of the nattering nabobs of negativism. I apologize for lying to you. I promise I won’t deceive you except in matters of this sort.” – apologies to that great republican Spiro Agnew
ROBOCOP
October 13th, 2010
9:36 am
What exactly does Nathan Deal have to do illegally/unethically before his blind, tone-deaf supporters back away? Does he have to murder someone; get caught on camera robbing at gunpoint a 7-11? I mean, how much is too much for you fools?
And for all of you AJC bashers, please note that it was an Associated Press article on Dale Russel’s report on the topic. You may remeber that Dale is as unbiased a reporter as there is and is also an employee of Channel 5, the Fox News affiliate in Atlanta.
Talk abou those who are drinking the kool-aid…
green green
October 13th, 2010
9:39 am
dale russell hits another one out of the park.
Roybama Barnes
October 13th, 2010
9:44 am
Why would Roy Barnes attempt to thwart an investigation that netted the most notorious pedophile in U.S. history? http://bibbrepublicanparty.com. Politicians and pedophiles, they both lust for power.
AngryVoter
October 13th, 2010
9:53 am
Aquagirl, please don’t let the truth or common sense get in the way of your opinion. The local fox station, with which Dale Russell broadcasts, should not have the cable network, Fox News, used to define it. Our local Fox station has proven over the years to be a very fair, capable, informative news source. It’s so sad that some people, who obviously have either never watched the local station’s news or have heard people equate Fox News and right-of-center reporting and is mimics what is heard because she is incapable of forming her own opinion based upon observation, feel the need to make disparaging remarks.
Bottom line: Most of us on the board know the quality news produced by our local Fox station. Rather than achieve your goal of making our locat station seem bad, you, Aquagirl, have let us know that being uninformed doesn’t stop your from spitting out the Dem line. It’s that type of dogma and attacking the source, rather than the facts, that has destroyed politics and government. Please, Aquagirl, not everything has to be a Dem vs. Rep torching.
Red
October 13th, 2010
9:56 am
Both candidates are horrible. With B&D all Georgians feel the pain.
3 Arrows
October 13th, 2010
9:56 am
ATLANTA — While north Georgia Republican Nathan Deal was in Congress, he and a top aide tried to persuade Hall County officials to take over maintenance of a private road that runs past Deal’s auto salvage yard and ends at another property Deal was seeking to rezone.
According to a report by WAGA-TV, Deal’s then-chief of staff, Chris Riley, sent e-mails to county officials on his House of Representatives e-mail account inquiring about the effort. House ethics rules prohibit using government resources for private gain.
The station also said Deal appeared in person before county officials to start the process.
The road request was followed by a rezoning request by Deal’s auto salvage business to turn the 137 acres of property at the end of the road into a landfill. The property ended up being rezoned.
Deal’s lawyer, Randy Evans, said the contact did not violate House ethics rules because Riley did not specifically ask for anything and was gathering information on behalf of a constituent.
“The important part is, did you ask for action? Did you ask for something? And the answer to that is, it didn’t happen here,” Evans said.
Evans couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday night. It wasn’t clear from the TV station’s report whether the county took over maintenance of the road.
Professor Harvey Newman, the chairman of Georgia State University Department Public Management and Policy, said such behavior crosses an ethical boundary and erodes public trust in public officials.
“It’s the use of a public office and the abuse of that public office in time, equipment and personnel that is inappropriate for public officials,” Newman told WAGA.
Earlier this year, the Office of Congressional Ethics said Deal’s lobbying of state officials in 2008 and 2009 to preserve a state arrangement for his auto salvage business might have violated House ethics rules by using official resources for his private gain. Deal met three times with state Revenue Commissioner Bart Graham.
Deal refused to answer questions after a debate Tuesday night in Atlanta.
Jonathan
October 13th, 2010
10:02 am
If even Fox have an expose on Deal he shows what a snake he is. Then he runs from the press…………
Deal still won’t release his full tax records either.
This shyster Deal is heading for criminal procedings sooner or later……….
Dick In Gainesville
October 13th, 2010
10:03 am
findog
October 13th, 2010
9:16 am
You are wrong, we have 4 things, Illegals, Chickens, land fills and CORRUPT POLITICIANS.
Aquagirl
October 13th, 2010
10:05 am
Angry, my comment was aimed at those who constantly complain CREW or whoever is persecuting Deal. They can hardly accuse channel 5 (who I do watch, I saw the report about 10:15 last night) of being some crazed Obama-infiltrated source.
So my entire point is that they’re telling the truth. I just wonder how some of those Deal-voting Saintly Repub vs. Evil Dem torchers will take this. Undoubtedly they’ll be scoring a 10 in mental gymnastics.
Nathan Deal runs from reporters › Blog for Democracy
October 13th, 2010
10:08 am
[...] Galloway has the back story. Like what you read? Get updates for free! ‹ Nathan Deal and illegal campaign contributions [...]
Don't Blame Me
October 13th, 2010
10:24 am
I voted for Handel.
Last Man Standing
October 13th, 2010
10:28 am
ROBOCOP:
“What exactly does Nathan Deal have to do illegally/unethically before his blind, tone-deaf supporters back away?”
Switch back from Republican to democrat.
SpaceyG
October 13th, 2010
10:46 am
You folk at AJC really need a multimedia-ista out on the Georgia governor campaign trail with you. For reasons other than the glaring fact that Dale Russell is kicking your a*s all over the place. That video is kinda sucky. But I applaud your effort.
Jonathan
October 13th, 2010
10:51 am
Deal the running man.
Running from the ethics committe…..
Running from the bankrupcy courts……
Running from reporters……….
and now even Running for Governor…………..
td
October 13th, 2010
10:53 am
Last Man Standing
October 13th, 2010
10:28 am
ROBOCOP:
“What exactly does Nathan Deal have to do illegally/unethically before his blind, tone-deaf supporters back away?”
Switch back from Republican to democrat
Not be a Obama supporting Roy Barnes. If Deal is found guilty of anything, then remove him from office (and I will be one of the first and loudest to call for impeachment) and Cagle can be governor. Until that time, I will cast my vote for him the keep the Obama supporting Barnes out of office.
McGill
October 13th, 2010
10:56 am
Georgia citizens are greasing up yet again: Barnes or Deal? Is that really a choice? God help us.
findog
October 13th, 2010
10:59 am
Dick,
My apologies on the count, as a sloth I am at a slight disadvantage…
Angry,
I believe that Fox 5 traded band frequency with CBS 46 in early 90’s and is basically an independent entertainment entity with a local standalone newscast. They cover metro Atlanta quite well finding all sorts of nefarious activities of democrats in Clayton, DeKalb, and Fulton Counties.
As the republican’s run the state they would quite naturally be targeted for equal examination.
I have yet to figure if the aqua is for costal water, environmental enlightenment, or relativity to lava boy; but the comments are nearly always in defense of the truth (debunking of Rush talking points) or simply calling out a conservative to give a full accounting of their position. Your argument would have been better served by noting that News Corp does not have a national nightly news program to tie it’s conservative republican bent as news analysis like the cable news/entertainment fair and balanced station known as Fox News. But then you would have to had overlooked the snarky nature of the posting…
ROBOCOP
October 13th, 2010
11:04 am
Last man Standing and td
You guys are the ones drinking the kool-aid. To try to paint Barnes as worse than Deal is laughable. So, a greater crime for you would be if Deal was a Democrat, than the fact he’s got fools like you turning a blind eye to his serial, unethical behavior? CREW included him in a list of 8 Democrats and 7 Republicans who have been given the dubious distinction of being corrupt and unethical. Why’d Karen Handel, a fellow Republican, refer to him exactly as that?
You two are great Americans.
Aquagirl
October 13th, 2010
11:09 am
Yeah, that’s what I get for attempting sarcasm before everyone’s had coffee.
Goobers
October 13th, 2010
11:25 am
Goobers Goobers Goobers!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What have i told you again and again… even tho i know you can’t fix stupid.
I hope all are practicing the new state cheer, as the rest of the world enjoys your performance…NOW HERE GOES…
GO GOOBERS GO!!!… GO GOOBERS GO!!!… YAAAAAY… GOOBERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
john
October 13th, 2010
11:29 am
What a snake.
ROBOCOP
October 13th, 2010
11:31 am
Aquagirl
Sarcasm has its best impact and is undestood best by intelligent folk. A lot of the folk who comment on this board don’t meet that description. They tend to be the intellectually blind and deaf. But keep up the sarcasm anyway. Some of us enjoy it.
john
October 13th, 2010
11:45 am
Robocop, Deal was a Democrat, how’s that for you.
john
October 13th, 2010
11:49 am
I bet td looks like those fat bumpkins in those ads with the stupid accents, just wasting away, as he wonders why life has been so cruel to him.
td
October 13th, 2010
11:54 am
ROBOCOP
I love the way you and other libs on this board like to question the intelligence level of people who disagree with your points of view. It is refreshing to know that your positive argument for your candidate is so bankrupt that you must resort to name calling. What are the positive points again that we are suppose to support Barnes and the liberal democratic party? Health care? Cap and trade? Obama motors? How is voting for Barnes going to help this state?
See you can not convince this state that redistributing wealth and being dependent on government is a viable option so therefore the people who do not support your position must be stupid. I was raised to believe and taught in school that only people with less intelligence questions others intelligence?
ROBOCOP
October 13th, 2010
11:56 am
John
He sure was a Democrat and was as much a crook then as he is now. That’s one of the reasons Newt and the Republican leadership recruited him to change parties. They knew he was man without any principles and was just interested in making sure the $$$$ kept coming in. He’d vote anyway they wanted him to vote as long as he got his. Ask any of his constituents what he did for them as their Congressman for 18 years (when he was a Democrat, too). The honest ones who know will tell you he did nothing.
Last Man Standing
October 13th, 2010
11:56 am
td:
“If Deal is found guilty of anything, then remove him from office (and I will be one of the first and loudest to call for impeachment) and Cagle can be governor”
I agree, and I will gladly join you in calling for his impeachment – if he is found guilty. The fact remains that Barnes is an admitted Obama supporter. He is not a Dixiecrat and he most certainly isn’t conservative.
ROBOCOP
October 13th, 2010
11:58 am
td
If the shoe fits, wear it…
td
October 13th, 2010
12:02 pm
john
October 13th, 2010
11:49 am
I bet td looks like those fat bumpkins in those ads with the stupid accents, just wasting away, as he wonders why life has been so cruel to him.
Life has not been cruel to me. I am at inner peace knowing what I have in life was due to the decisions I made and from the hard work I put in. I am not the person hiding, pretending to be conservative, from what I truly believe. I proudly stand up and defend hard work, self reliance and less government intrusion. How about you, do you proudly stand up and defend government dependency, government intrusion, government regulation and hating anyone that does not agree with you?
There is hope. Come too the light and leave the darkness. It will be hard work, you will have to depend on yourself and have to work hard, but I can guarantee you that you will sleep better at night knowing that what you have you earned.
td
October 13th, 2010
12:04 pm
ROBOCOP
October 13th, 2010
11:58 am
td
If the shoe fits, wear it…
Thank you for proving my point:-)
john
October 13th, 2010
12:05 pm
td, you are apparently just lining yourself up to hop on to the Deal gravy train.
Virginia
October 13th, 2010
12:05 pm
Aquagirl:
Ditto what Robocop said. Keep it up!
Will
October 13th, 2010
12:09 pm
Although there is probably nothing that can get a majority of voters in Georgia to support a democrat in a state wide election, there are serious, legitimate concerns regarding the ethics and conduct of Nathan Deal.
Many, many voters are acknowledging these concerns but, at the same time, saying they feel they have no choice but to vote for the republican because of the mistrust and hatred they have toward democrats.
I am 60 years old and I have never seen an gubernatorial election in Georgia where the most likely winner has generated so little ethusiasm.
I am certain there is going to be quite a bit of “buyers remorse” when Nathan Deal has to face the music sometime next year for his misdeeds.
td
October 13th, 2010
12:10 pm
john
October 13th, 2010
12:05 pm
td, you are apparently just lining yourself up to hop on to the Deal gravy train
I guess you are like ROBOCOP and con not defend the policies of the Democrats so you resort to name calling and accusations. Go ahead my friend, the government will continue to think for you if you let them.
CJae From East Lake
October 13th, 2010
12:14 pm
@ Johnathan – I’d take that your comment to the Barnes campaign team and collect a fee. That’s some powerful marketing right there. Don’t know if it will help but its worth a shot.
Every week seems to reveal something else unsavory about Deal from an ethical point of view. Alot of question marks over the guy and not alot of answers. Not sure if Barnes is significantly better from a policy position perspective, but definately the lessor of two evils in this race.
talleywhacker
October 13th, 2010
12:16 pm
KariDee, go eat another donut.
whatajoke
October 13th, 2010
12:17 pm
Run, Nathan, Run!
john
October 13th, 2010
12:21 pm
td=the dummy
whatajoke
October 13th, 2010
12:22 pm
Both candidates (Barnes and Deal), are crooks, but we are left to choose the lesser of 2 evils. The Libertarian party just hasn’t taken off in Georgia and the public is afraid to “Write In” Karen Handel because they are not sure it will be counted. So we must all decide, both men are evil, power and money hungry. But who is the lesser of the 2 evils. I really can’t decide, because the both sicken me and are both so power hungry.
ROBOCOP
October 13th, 2010
12:28 pm
td
I don’t know what it was I wrote that makes you think I proved your point. What is evident, however, is that you think a guy who has spent his entire political life trying to find a way to make money in the most unethical ways is a better person than another who supported a president of his political party. Do you know how dumb that sounds? Do you know how shallow that makes you and your fellow believers sound?
So, don’t do this “you’re picking at me and calling me mean names” baloney. Some of us personally know the politicians involved, and of the two, I wouldn’t trust Nathan Deal 15 feet outside my eye-sight. You support him because he has an “R” next to his name and Barnes has a “D” next to his, but you can’t identify 5 things Deal’s done as a Congressman that was good for Georgia or his district — not when he was a Democrat and not since he’s been a Republican. He never stood up for anything unless he could make a buck at it. Whether you like him or not, Barnes took on issues that upset a lot of people, and you can’t find one instance of corruption or stealing or misusing his office for personal gain. If there had been ANY evidence of corruption in his 40+ years of public service, Deal’s people, the RGA or the national and Georgia GOPs would have found it and put it out there already. On the other hand, Deal is the poster child for corruption and underhanded dealing. There are some of us who have been around long enough who know what “the REAL deal” is on Deal and it’s not a pretty sight.
Just keep drinking the kool-aid you’ve had handed to you and keep believing you’re on the side of what’s right. But just remember taght old expression: “Be careful of the things you wish for in life — you might just get them.”
Perimeter Progressive
October 13th, 2010
12:30 pm
Nathan Deal seems awfully free with taking Georgia tax dollars for personal gain… http://perimeterprogressive.wordpress.com/2010/10/12/nathan-deals-road-to-nowhere/
El Oko
October 13th, 2010
12:30 pm
Dale Russell for Governor!!!!!