Georgia Democrats accuse Walker of violating campaign finance rules

Former professional football player Herschel Walker speaks to the crowd before introducing President Donald Trump during a Blacks for Trump campaign rally at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Friday, September 25, 2020.  (Alyssa Pointer / Alyssa.Pointer@ajc.com)

Credit: Alyssa Pointer / Alyssa.Pointer@ajc.com

Credit: Alyssa Pointer / Alyssa.Pointer@ajc.com

Former professional football player Herschel Walker speaks to the crowd before introducing President Donald Trump during a Blacks for Trump campaign rally at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Friday, September 25, 2020. (Alyssa Pointer / Alyssa.Pointer@ajc.com)

Georgia Democrats filed an ethics complaint Wednesday that accuses Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker of improperly benefiting from digital advertisements promoted by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

The Democratic Party of Georgia’s complaint cites about $3,000 in “excessive and unreported in-kind contributions” to Walker’s campaign when Greene posted three paid Facebook ads in September and October boosting the former football star’s Senate bid.

It asks regulators to immediately investigate the “blatant disregard” of federal finance laws.

Read the complaint here.

“Because the advertisements expressly advocate for Herschel Walker’s candidacy, to the extent they were coordinated with Walker or his campaign, they constitute in-kind contributions to the Walker campaign,” read the complaint.

Walker’s campaign called it a “desperate and false attack by Democrats” worried about the Republican’s candidacy. Spokeswoman Mallory Blount said it was part of a political strategy that she said amounted to: “file a frivolous complaint, send press release, lose on the merits, rinse and repeat.”

Walker has emerged as the leading GOP contender in the race to challenge U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock since he entered the contest in August, and he was quickly endorsed by Greene and former President Donald Trump.

Democrats are racing to tie him to Greene and other far-right politicians hated by the party’s base even as Walker attempts a broader message. Greene has aggressively touted Walker’s campaign and the two were photographed shortly after Walker’s debut political speech holding an “Impeach Biden” sign.