Debate over releasing Matt Gaetz’s ethics report has echoes of Nathan Deal

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been corrected to reflect it was the Office of Congressional Ethics, not the House Ethics Committee, that released a report on former U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal.

Today’s newsletter highlights include:

Possible contenders for Georgia’s next Democratic Party chair.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff highlights mental health grant for public schools.
President Joe Biden to submit disaster aid request to Congress.

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Can you name this lawmaker: A Republican in Congress with aims for higher office resigns his House seat and stymies an ongoing ethics investigation into his questionable behavior.

Did you guess Matt Gaetz, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general? We also would have accepted former Georgia U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal.

In the heat of a tough Republican primary in 2010, Deal abruptly quit his Gainesville-based House seat to focus on his race for governor. But at the time, he was also facing a U.S. House ethics investigation of his business dealings with the state.

Resigning from Congress is one way to end a House Ethics Committee investigation, since the panel only has jurisdiction over current members. But in Deal’s case, the Office of Congressional Ethics — an independent, nonpartisan entity established by the House — released a report on him. It accused him of earning too much outside income and using his office to protect a lucrative state contract for his company, which Deal’s staff denied.

Credit: Alex Brandon/AP

Credit: Alex Brandon/AP

Now, the House Ethics Committee is weighing whether to release its report on Gaetz, who has faced allegations of sexual misconduct but has not been charged with a crime. The current House Ethics Committee was scheduled to vote on Friday whether to release its report on Gaetz. He resigned two days before that meeting, and it has been postponed.

House Speaker Mike Johnson opposes the report’s release. But some in the U.S. Senate — who will decide whether to confirm Gaetz — say they want to read the report.

“Absolutely,” said Republican U.S. Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday when asked whether the committee should release the report. “I believe the Senate should have access to that.”

And former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who was in Atlanta on Sunday for a discussion about her new book with one of your Insiders, said she also wants to see the report but is deferring to the panel’s members.

Deal’s resignation upended Georgia politics — and gave grist to his GOP opponents who not only accused him of sidestepping the investigation but of depriving Republicans of a key vote during the 2010 health care debate. For his part, Deal called it a “political witch hunt” pushed by Democrats.

In the end, though, Deal won the gubernatorial nomination in a squeaker of a runoff against Karen Handel and defeated former Gov. Roy Barnes in the general election. And Deal would lash out over other ethics investigations once in office.

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Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

GOOD MORNING! Georgia’s legislative session starts in 56 days. Here are three things to know for today:

The State Election Board meets today at 9 a.m. Find out what happens at AJC.com.
How the 2024 election results could affect Atlanta traffic.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has handed over dozens of watches and a Mercedes to two former Georgia election workers as part of a $148 million defamation judgment.

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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

DEM DISARRAY. “It’s Jon Ossoff’s party now.”

That’s what one senior Democrat texted shortly after U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams endorsed rules changes that could lead her to relinquish her role as state Democratic Party chair early next year.

Ossoff, the first-term Democratic U.S. senator, was among the party leaders who privately pushed Williams to step down, officials say, while some prominent donors, activists and officials took their demands public.

What happens next remains to be seen, but the overhauling of the party’s bylaws is slated to begin within weeks.

And that could mean Williams steps down long before her four-year term ends in 2027. What’s equally unclear is who could succeed Williams, though we’ve heard a few names circulating. Among them:

Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, who is still active in state politics and recently helmed a bipartisan initiative to build confidence in Georgia’s elections.
Former state Rep. Matthew Wilson, a vice-chair of the state Democratic Party and a 2022 candidate for insurance commissioner.
Macon Mayor Pro Tem Seth Clark, a longtime Democratic strategist behind a bipartisan push to create Georgia’s first national park and preserve.

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Credit: Adam Beam/AJC

MENTAL HEALTH SAFETY. Georgia U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff was in Gwinnett County last week to promote a two-year-old law we suspect you’ll be hearing a lot about when he runs for reelection in 2026.

The law is the Safer Communities Act, passed in 2022 when Democrats controlled Congress. Billed as the most significant gun control legislation in three decades, it expanded background checks for people under 21 who purchase guns and included funding for mental health services in schools.

It’s that last part that Ossoff talked about on Friday, when he announced Gwinnett County Public Schools got a $2.4 million grant for mental health services. The award highlights how policymakers now view mental health spending as a public safety issue.

“I think it’s clear that these issues are linked, that mental health and public safety are connected,” Ossoff said.

Ossoff tiptoed across the gun issue during his 2020 Senate campaign, running ads pledging to “defend our Second Amendment” while also endorsing a ban on assault-style weapons. He’ll have to navigate the issue carefully again in 2026 given Georgia’s altered political landscape in the aftermath of President-elect Donald Trump’s victory.

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Credit: Courtesy photo

BABY BONDS. Gov. Brian Kemp wants to give a portion of Georgia’s surplus back to taxpayers. But Robert Dawson wants him to think younger.

Dawson, one of 22 new members of the Georgia Legislature this year, wants lawmakers to consider giving future surpluses to newborns in Georgia. The money would collect interest in a savings account until the child is 18 and can use it to pay for college, job training or to start a business.

“I’m not interested in the partisan, bitter politics. I really want to find … what we have in common and do better for the future generations and the current citizens,” he said.

Dawson, a Democrat, has run for public office three times before, including bids for the mayor and city council of South Fulton and the state Legislature. But it wasn’t until this year he was successful, winning a seat in House District 65. He won a majority in a four-way Democratic primary to avoid a runoff election and then coasted to victory in November with no opposition.

Dawson grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, where he attended a fine arts school focused on creative writing. He’s an IT consultant these days, despite, he says, having never taken a computer class.

The idea for “baby bonds” has been around for a while, mostly in progressive circles. California, Connecticut and Washington, D.C., have all passed some form of baby bond program.

“I’m just really excited to bring some energy and a collaborative attitude,” Dawson said.

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Credit: U.S. Department of Justice

PARDON DREAMS. So far, 35 people with Georgia ties have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol. Their legal troubles could soon disappear if President-elect Donald Trump follows through with his pledge to pardon them.

The latest arrest came last week when authorities charged Leander Antwione Williams, a former football player for Georgia Southern University and the Detroit Lions.

The AJC’s Chris Joyner reports that Williams is accused of hitting, grabbing and pushing police officers who had formed a line on the Capitol’s West Terrace to prevent rioters from entering the building.

He’s charged with two felonies — assaulting police and civil disorder — along with five misdemeanors. If convicted of the felonies, he faces a maximum combined prison sentence of 13 years.

Nationwide, more than 1,500 people have been charged in the riot in what the Associated Press has called the largest prosecution in the history of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Trump hasn’t said how he would go about pardoning the rioters. But many have toasted his return to power as a chance to wipe their records clean.

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Credit: Dean Charles Anthony II

LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” Emory University political science professor Bernard Fraga discusses new data on Black voters in Georgia. And LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, joins the show.

Be sure to download the AJC’s Politically Georgia podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are uploaded by noon each day, just in time to have lunch with us. You can also listen live at 10 a.m. EDT on 90.1 FM WABE. Have a question for the show? Give us a call at 770-810-5297.

On Friday’s show, state Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, and newly-elected Minority Leader Harold Jones II, D-Augusta, talked about their leadership roles in the upcoming legislative session.

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Credit: Kenny Holston/The New York Times

DISASTER RELIEF. President Joe Biden is expected to submit an emergency disaster aid request to Congress this week to help states like Georgia that have been impacted by natural disasters.

Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young released a memo outlining the needs various federal agencies have asked to be addressed before existing funds run dry.

The Department of Homeland Security says a disaster relief fund needs more money to help communities and families rebuild and to pay for projects to reduce the impact of future events.
The Small Business Administration says its disaster loan program is running out of funds as it responds to 36 events across 24 states.
The Agriculture Department says rural communities need help clearing debris while farmers and ranchers need money to cover the lost income due to damaged or destroyed crops and livestock.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development said its Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program needs replenishing.
The Transportation Department asked for more money to rebuild damaged roads and bridges.
The Environmental Protection Agency says it needs funds to ensure pipes that provide drinking water continue to function.

Biden’s request for more disaster aid is likely to have a price tag of tens of billions of dollars and will be added to Congress’ lengthy to-do with just four working weeks remaining in its current session.

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Credit: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

TODAY IN WASHINGTON:

President Joe Biden is in Rio de Janeiro where he is attending the G20 Summit.
The House and Senate have evening votes scheduled.

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Credit: Katelyn Myrick/AJC

CONGRATS, BILL! The AJC’s Bill Nigut, co-host of the “Politically Georgia” podcast, will retire on Jan. 31.

Nigut, 77, spent 20 years at WSB-TV covering politics from 1983 to 2003. After some years working for nonprofits, he returned to journalism with Georgia Public Broadcasting in 2013 to oversee the popular “Political Rewind” show.

“Bill is a singular talent,” AJC Publisher Andrew Morse said. “His steady hand, baritone voice and love for all things politics helped us launch the ‘Politically Georgia’ show and take it to new levels.”

Nigut said he’s stepping away at what “feels like the exact right moment for me.”

“I am truly honored to be here,” Nigut said of his time at the AJC. “I really mean that.”

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Credit: Mike Stewart/AP

SHOUTOUTS. Kudos:

U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Lithonia, held his sixth annual Unsung Heroes awards program on Sunday, honoring 15 residents of Georgia’s 4th Congressional District for their impact on the community.

Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that! Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.

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AS ALWAYS, send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.

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