Wealthy Georgians open their wallets for Trump’s campaign

Some of Georgia’s wealthiest people are digging deep into their bank accounts to finance former President Donald Trump’s comeback bid.

A Fortune analysis of Federal Election Commission filings found that 26 of Trump’s richest backers nationwide — worth a whopping $143 billion — have poured $162 million into his campaign so far.

Cracking the top 10 for the first time is former Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler and her husband Jeff Sprecher, the stock exchange billionaire. The couple has contributed $4.9 million to pro-Trump groups this cycle, good for ninth highest on the overall list.

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Beyond that, Loeffler and Sprecher also stroked a $1 million check to help underwrite the Republican National Convention. And Loeffler, who could be in line for a Cabinet post if Trump wins, seems certain to chip in more.

Coming in at 13th on the list is Georgia-based Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, who has so far contributed $2.7 million to Trump’s effort. The GOP mega-donor has a ways to go to match the $5 million he gave to pro-Trump causes in 2016 or the $10 million he donated to those groups in 2020.

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Credit: Seeger Gray/AJC

Credit: Seeger Gray/AJC

COBB 2024. Georgia GOP chair Josh McKoon warned that counties that start charging people who challenge the eligibility of voters could face “legal peril.”

It came after Cobb County’s election board voted 4-1 on Monday to adopt a rule that would require people who contest the eligibility of voters to cover the cost of notifying them they were under review.

Former President Donald Trump’s GOP allies are filing mass challenges, sometimes aided by sophisticated software, of thousands of voters. Legislators in 2021 adopted a law that lets voters file an unlimited number of challenges in their county.

The overwhelming majority of challenges have been dismissed by county election boards, but critics say they tie up already strained local staffers and undermine confidence in the voting system.

“Charging citizens to exercise the authority granted by the Legislature to remove invalid voter registrations is illegal,” said McKoon. “Continue to do so at your legal peril. Other counties can expect the same if they follow suit.”

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Credit: TNS

Credit: TNS

READY FOR HIS CLOSE-UP, AGAIN. Former President Donald Trump will take questions from reporters today for the second time in a week. The Trump campaign has scheduled a news conference in Bedminster, New Jersey, at the Trump National Golf Club starting at 4:30 p.m.

Trump, who has famously disparaged the media as the “enemy of the American people,” is making a point about how he’s willing to take tough questions from the press while his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, has yet to do so in a meaningful way.

Georgia Republicans will likely be holding their breath. During his last news conference, Trump again went after Republican Gov. Brian Kemp — a tactic many view as a harmful distraction.

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Credit: AJC file photo

Credit: AJC file photo

CLEDUS, GET THE MONEY. The State Transportation Board of Georgia will likely decide today who gets to build 16 miles of tolled express lanes along Ga. 400, which runs along Atlanta’s spine.

The highway was featured in the 1977 movie “Smokey and the Bandit,” picked in part because it was so sparsely used. Nowadays, of course, it’s an often-clogged main thoroughfare connecting Atlanta and its northern suburbs and exurbs.

State officials hope that adding 16 miles of express lanes — lanes drivers must pay to use — will ease the congestion.

The project has been delayed multiple times, most recently in 2021 when state officials rejected a company’s bid because it far exceeded the state’s $1.7 billion budget for the project.

Be sure and check AJC.com today for updates. But don’t get too excited. Even after today’s decision, the project is not expected to be completed until 2031.

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Credit: AP

Credit: AP

IT’S IN THE MAIL. Nothing can bring Democrats and Republicans together quite like the United States Postal Service.

Last year, the Postal Service announced it would overhaul its processing and delivery operations network. In real talk, that means they closed some of their smaller facilities in favor of one big facility.

But since then there have been some significant delays in the mail. The time it takes for a piece of first-class mail to be delivered in Georgia has increased by nearly 60%, according to the lawmakers.

Earlier this week, Georgia’s U.S. congressional delegation vented by — you guessed it — writing a letter. Led by U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Athens, the lawmakers asked Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to seek an advisory opinion about the changes from the Postal Regulatory Commission, an independent agency with regulatory oversight over the Postal Service. All 14 members of Georgia’s congressional delegation signed the letter.

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC

Apparently, this letter arrived on time. The Postal Service told us they will provide a written response directly to the Georgia U.S. House members. It also reiterated what the agency has said before: that it plans “to seek an Advisory Opinion of fairly significant scope.”

The Postal Service says it has provided “extensive written explanations” to the Georgia congressional delegation about the challenges. A number of Georgia lawmakers have toured postal service facilities and received performance updates.

“We feel our transparency has been exceptional,” the Postal Service said in a statement.

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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

SOMETHING DOESN’T ADD UP HERE. State lawmakers were scratching their heads on Wednesday trying to understand how one Georgia car dealer could issue nearly 21,000 temporary operating permits in just six months.

After buying a car, it takes a while to get a license plate. In the meantime, dealers issue a temporary operating permit, commonly known as TOP. These permits are especially valuable to criminals, who can use them to hide stolen vehicles, avoid tolls or — at worst — aid in human trafficking.

On Wednesday, the Georgia Department of Revenue told lawmakers that about one out of every five temporary operating permits contains fraudulent information — like a permit issued to Santa Claus. In one case, they said an unnamed dealer issued 20,916 permits from June to December in 2022.

“How is anybody sending out 20,000 TOPs in one half-year period without asking any questions,” asked state Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, during Wednesday’s hearing.

State officials with the Department of Revenue said scammers often classify permits as out-of-state sales and get them from multiple vendors, making them harder to catch.

State Rep. John Corbett, R-Lake Park, said lawmakers have legislation “mostly drafted” to address the issue.

“Let’s try to fix the fraud that’s going on,” he said.

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Credit: Atlanta Police Department

Credit: Atlanta Police Department

BURNS BACKS SEABAUGH. Georgia state Rep. Devan Seabaugh has received a show of support from state House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington.

The Georgia Highway Patrol charged Seabaugh, R-Marietta, with driving under the influence of alcohol after they said he hit a cyclist in a bike lane while driving in Grant Park last week. Seabaugh has said he was not intoxicated.

“Devan Seabaugh is a good man. He does a good job as a representative, and I look forward to this playing itself out and letting the legal process work,” Burns told the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman.

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Credit: AP

Credit: AP

DON’T FORGET ABOUT US. While both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are eyeing Georgia for their path to the presidency, a handful of legislative races may decide the center of political gravity under the Gold Dome next year, the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman writes.

Top Republicans, including Gov. Brian Kemp and House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington, are eager to maintain their party’s majority in both legislative chambers.

Their leadership fundraising committees are providing a combined $2.5 million for candidates in about a half-dozen hotly contested districts in metro Atlanta, including several in Gwinnett County and north Fulton County that narrowly supported President Joe Biden but could still be open to conservative candidates not named Trump.

Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee is aiming to counter that cash with $1 million sent to the state to support downballot candidates.

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LISTEN UP. Today on “Politically Georgia,” state Rep. Shelly Hutchinson, D-Snellville, who is a delegate to next week’s Democratic National Convention, joins the show. Also appearing is Melita Easters, the founder of Georgia’s Win List, an organization dedicated to electing Democratic women who support abortion rights.

Listen live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 or follow “Politically Georgia” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

On Wednesday’s show, former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin talked about being the first Black woman to lead a major Southern city and how she feels about Vice President Kamala Harris potentially becoming the first Black woman to lead the United States. And Georgia Republican Party chairman Josh McKoon offered his thoughts on the Democratic presidential candidate.

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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

FLYING HIGH. Democratic U.S. Sens. Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are highlighting federal funds awarded to airports across Georgia as part of the Biden administration’s sweeping Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The AJC’s Riley Bunch reports the money will pay for projects like control tower improvements, terminal and taxiway upgrades, safety equipment as well as expansion efforts. Fourteen Georgia cities received these grants through the Federal Aviation Administration: Albany, Alma, Athens, Atlanta, Columbus, Dallas, Greensboro, Hampton, Milledgeville, Perry, Statesboro, Thomaston, Tifton and Valdosta.

Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport will receive the biggest amount at $30 million.

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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:

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Credit: Arvin Temkar / AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar / AJC

OLYMPICS RECAP. Stacey Abrams, a two-time candidate for Georgia governor, posted a series of photos on her Instagram account recounting her time in Paris during the Olympics.

The photos indicate Abrams attended some of the gymnastics and track competitions. She posed with famed women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, WNBA legend Sue Bird and retired gymnast Aly Raisman.

Abrams also wrote that she met with participants of Nike’s Athlete Think Tank initiative, which she described as a “collective of elite women athletes and global changemakers who are building connections and translating their world-class expertise to improve the experience of girls and women in sport and in their communities.”

“I’m excited to see how the energy from the Olympics and the @paralympics (which start August 28th) inspires our communities,” Abrams wrote. “Au revoir, Paris!”

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LISTENING HOURS. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ office is holding mobile office hours for constituents in DeKalb and Fulton counties on Aug. 27. He’s also hosting a book drive to support the Georgia Council on Literacy.

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Credit: Courtesy photo

Credit: Courtesy photo

DOGS OF THE DAY. We know that lots of our subscribers are employee-of-the-month types. But we’re not sure any of you can compare to Casey and Nugget, the golden retriever duo who, we’re told, are the most popular employees at Wellstar Children’s Hospital of Georgia in Augusta.

Casey, 7, and Nugget, 9, make the rounds with their handlers to both brighten the days of children in the hospital as well as to help staff with explanations and demonstrations for their littlest patients.

The pups recently celebrated their birthdays with a joint party that included a whipped cream relay and treat catching competition. Licking condiments off the floor for the entertainment of children is called commitment in our employee handbook. So Casey and Nugget, you’re our Dogs of the Day!

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AS ALWAYS, Politically Georgia readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to adam.beam@ajc.com, greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com.