If you can forgive the twisted phrase, it seems quite fitting. Now that primary season is behind us, save for a few runoffs (at least one of which will be very consequential), the parties can begin taking their aim at each other rather than candidates only aiming within. And they are wasting no time.
The results hadn’t even been certified yet on Tuesday and Carmen Foskey, Executive Director of the Georgia Republican Party, was sending an email warning of Stacey Abrams as “the most extreme, far-left statewide nominee in their party’s history.” The email went on to lay out Abrams’ issues with taxes and financial disclosures. According to Foskey, since her first election to the House of Representatives, Abrams has amended every single personal financial disclosure she has ever filed – minus one in 2016.
The Georgia GOP has called on Abrams to release ten years of tax returns and payment history, covering her entire time in the state legislature.
“I’ve tried to make sense of her personal and professional finances, and my head is spinning,” states Georgia Republican Party Chairman John Watson. “The only way for voters to get clarity on a growing list of ethical issues concerning her finances is to see her tax returns and payment history for her entire tenure in the state legislature. There should be no “forgetting” or “misfiling” with the IRS.”
Another email arrived Thursday with some more specifics regarding Abrams’ finances. They sent along one example previously detailed by the AJC in 2016 about Abrams’ work as a consultant for Michelle Nunn’s Senate campaign. Abrams was paid $30,000 as a consultant for the campaign but the payment was concealed behind a company with her sister’s name on it. Abrams claims she forgot to disclose it on the required financial disclosures.
There are some other examples that have previously received some light coverage. Expect Georgia Republicans to work towards making those more well-known.
For their part, the Georgia Democrats held their State Dinner on Thursday night. Democrat Senator from Alabama Doug Jones was the keynote speaker. There were some particular unique characteristics that led to Jones’ victory in Alabama but he is a star of sorts in the Democratic Party. Picking up seats in the red states will be a crucial part of the path forward for Democrats – Republicans currently hold 33 governor seats compared to the 16 held by Democrats. With the Census coming up in 2020 and then redistricting, governor races in the next few cycles will be critically important.
Abrams’ speech at the dinner focused on her party’s focus on all Georgians – insinuating Republicans do not. “There’s been this conversation about whether the Democratic Party is searching for its soul. Our soul lies w/ the workers who toil & wonder if they’ll ever make enough to support their families. Our souls are in Catoosa, Clayton and Camden counties…waiting for people to realize we are ALL one Georgia,” said Abrams.
For now, Abrams and the Democrats are keeping their powder mostly dry on attacking either Cagle or Kemp in particular but swipes at the Republicans in general continue. Nine weeks from now, that will not be the case.
