Charlie Bailey, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, has been campaigning around the state calling his opponent, state Sen. Burt Jones, a “felon” for his role in former President Donald Trump’s bid to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
But Jones says Bailey’s 2011 arrest on charges of driving under the influence makes the Democrat unfit for office, our Atlanta Journal-Constitution colleague Maya T. Prabhu reports.
Bailey, a former prosecutor who lives in Atlanta, has called the DUI charges flimsy. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving in connection with the arrest. Court documents revealed no evidence that Bailey took or failed a sobriety test after he was pulled over for a broken brake light, although the arresting officer said alcohol could be smelled on Bailey’s breath.
Republican Burt Jones accused Bailey of hiding his arrest from voters.
“Charlie Bailey was arrested for driving drunk, breaking the law, and endangering the lives of Georgia citizens,” said Jones, a state senator and fuel executive from Jackson. “But what’s worse — he lied about it and hid it from the people of Georgia for years. Georgians deserve an ethical, honest and trustworthy leader who will protect our families and uphold the rule of law — not break it.”
Credit: Troy Stolt/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Credit: Troy Stolt/Chattanooga Times Free Press
According to police and court documents, Bailey was pulled over late on May 5, 2011, in the Buckhead neighborhood of Atlanta for what police said was an “inoperable” brake light. Police said in an incident report that Bailey smelled of alcohol. He refused a field sobriety test or to take a breath test to determine his blood alcohol level and was arrested.
Bailey was released on $1,100 bond and pleaded guilty to reckless driving, a misdemeanor, about three weeks later. He was sentenced to a year of probation, 100 hours of community service and attendance at a panel hosted by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers.
Bailey has often called Jones a criminal for his involvement as a part of a “phony” slate of GOP presidential electors designed to help Trump’s failed effort to overturn Joe Biden’s victory.
Earlier this year, the Justice Department said it was intensifying its investigation into Georgia’s electors.
“Only one candidate for Lieutenant Governor (Burt Jones) has preemptively agreed to an FBI interview for his attempt to overthrow the United States government,” said Bailey’s campaign spokesman Jake Orvis. “Burt Jones is desperate to distract voters from the numerous investigations into his failed attempted coup.”
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WALKER RESPONDS. Herschel Walker appeared on Fox News’ “Hannity” Monday night to address the bombshell accusation in the Daily Beast that he had paid for an ex-girlfriend’s abortion in 2009.
Asked if he could remember ever sending $700 to anyone, as detailed in the article, Walker responded, “I send money to a lot of people, and that’s what’s so funny. … I give money to people all the time because I’m always helping people.”
Walker went on to deny ever paying for an abortion and called the article a lie.
“Whoever has been out there want to lie on Herschel Walker, you’re lying on the wrong one.”
Around the same time he went on air, Walker’s adult son on Twitter accused his father of “making a mockery” of their family.
“Every family member of Herschel Walker asked him not to run for office, because we all knew (some of) his past. Every single one. He decided to give us the middle finger and air out all of his dirty laundry in public, while simultaneously lying about it,” the younger Walker wrote. “I’m done.”
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TRUMP VISIT? A few weeks ago, we reported that former President Donald Trump’s circle was discussing a campaign stop in south Georgia on Oct. 15, the day after the debate between Herschel Walker and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock.
The likelihood of such a campaign trip dimmed dramatically in recent days, we’re told by several officials, amid pushback from senior Republicans who have warned his trip could backfire.
Credit: Hannah Beier / The New York Times
Credit: Hannah Beier / The New York Times
One GOP official reports that Trump’s advisers were shown internal polls that indicated the damage he’d cause to Republican candidates would outweigh the potential benefits of a visit.
“It’s not solidified,” the official notes, “but all the pressure is on to send him elsewhere.”
That’s not hard to imagine. Gov. Brian Kemp and other GOP incumbents that Trump sought to defeat would surely be no-shows.
And the two statewide candidates he endorsed — Senate nominee Herschel Walker and Burt Jones, the GOP candidate for lieutenant governor — have not emphasized his endorsement on the campaign trail.
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Credit: Jason Getz
Credit: Jason Getz
ATTACK ON RAFFENSPERGER. Democrats are continuing to focus their fire against Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on both voting rights and abortion rights.
The Democratic Party of Georgia will release three new ads Tuesday, “Restrict,” “Amendment” and “Think Again,” which will run in the Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon and Savannah media markets.
Raffensperger is in the strongest position of any statewide candidate in November, running nearly 20 points ahead of state Rep. Bee Nguyen in the AJC’s latest poll, fueled by support from Republicans, independents and Democrats.
All three ads are designed to wedge liberal support away from the incumbent with the message to Democrats, “You don’t know the real Brad Raffensperger.”
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ON THE TRAIL:
- State Sen. Jen Jordan and state Rep. Bee Nguyen, and Democratic leaders are holding a news conference today with NARAL President Mini Timmaraju at the state Capitol to discuss abortion rights. Jordan and Nguyen are the party’s nominees for attorney general and secretary of state, respectively;
Credit: Steve Schaefer / AJC
Credit: Steve Schaefer / AJC
- State Sen. Burt Jones, the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, is holding a roundtable today with minority business leaders at Ray’s Southern Food in Forest Park.
- A consortium of Black radio stations hosts a town hall today at Clark Atlanta University. Candidates scheduled to attend include Gov. Brian Kemp, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams and U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock.
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IN ENDORSEMENT NEWS:
- The left-leaning Democracy for America announced its slate of endorsements in Georgia. The list includes Stacey Abrams for governor, William Boddie for labor commissioner, Nakita Hemingway for agriculture commissioner and U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams.
Among the group’s legislative endorsements are Democratic House candidates Joyce Barlow and Courtney Driver; and Senate candidates Nabilah Islam and Matielyn Jones.
- The Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund endorsed Gov. Brian Kemp’s campaign for a second term. Chair Jenny Beth Martin praised Kemp’s refusal “to allow one-size-fits-all lockdown edicts” from Washington during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Credit: Tia Mitchell / AJC
Credit: Tia Mitchell / AJC
CHASING ATLANTA. The latest round of Atlanta’s charm offensive in hopes of landing the Democratic National Convention in 2024 was held in Washington, D.C., over the weekend, coinciding with the Congressional Black Caucus’ Annual Legislative Conference.
A brunch at a posh waterside restaurant titled “ATL Influences Everything” was hosted by Mayor Andre Dickens and facilitated by his chief adviser, Howard Franklin. In between the buffet and mimosas, Dickens spelled out the case the city is making to party officials.
“We just won the FIFA World Cup, that’s going to be in our city,” he told the crowd. “We’ve also just announced to be the host of the national football championship for college football in 2025. And, of course, we did the Olympics. We do a lot of things ‘big,’ and we do them well.”
Dickens also spoke about Atlanta’s diversity, robust business community and recent designation by Money magazine as the “best place to live in the U.S.” Postcards distributed to guests focused on logistics, such as the city’s large convention center, abundance of downtown hotels and “an international airport with direct flights to anywhere in the country.”
Atlanta is one of four finalists for the convention alongside Chicago, Houston and New York City. Dickens, in his speech, pointed out that Georgia is the swing state among them, and helped Democrats win the White House and control of the U.S. Senate.
The Democratic National Committee said it won’t announce a winner until after the midterms.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on a case that deals with redistricting in Alabama. Plaintiff’s say the state’s new map for seven congressional seats violates the Voting Rights Act by diminishing Black representation.
- President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will attend the second meeting of the Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access alongside other Cabinet-level officials. The task force was created to coordinate the federal government’s response to the reversal of federal protections for abortion.
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Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
VOTER GUIDES. The Atlanta Civic Circle and the AJC have partnered to produce a voters’ guide for the 2022 general election.
This guide will provide voters with a side-by-side look at the candidates for office, their views on issues voters care about most, their party affiliation and their history in elective politics.
This guide will go live next week.
This locally generated, non-partisan compilation of vital information is aimed at making sure voters are fully informed before they cast their ballots.
Candidates were sent questionnaires to the email addresses disclosed in their election filing documents. If any candidates did not receive a questionnaire, they can e-mail AJC Managing Editor Leroy Chapman at Leroy.Chapman@ajc.com.
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AS ALWAYS, Jolt readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com and greg.bluestein@ajc.com.
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