Vernon Jones discusses elections and his part in America
Featured Stories, News, Politics March 24, 2021
Spending a lot of recent time in Florida, Vernon Jones (R) spoke with FYN today on his efforts and plans with former president Donald Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and
Meeting and studying with Ron DeSantis, Florida’s Governor, Jones said he is looking into businesses, vaccinations, and protection practices that Florida is doing so well.
Voicing concerns on other states and the federal implications of many modern issues including COVID, Jones again pointed to Florida as having the right idea. Jones supported DeSantis’ remarks that all are welcome and loved, but denied transgendered biological males from competing in female sports. He called out President Joe Biden for pushing to allow such things. Delving deeper into the transgender issue, Jones voiced his dismay that many are also pushing to inject children with hormones and perform surgery on children to modify their gender.
Jones said, “Now think about this, you have to be 18 to vote, 21 to buy any alcohol or anything. And they are performing this type of surgery on children and injecting them with hormones? Please, a child doesn’t know any better. You raise a child up and the child will make a decision at the appropriate time.”
Speaking on so many issues, BKP asked Jones if a recent group of tweets on social media bore any further effect on the Governor’s Race in Georgia. After many of those tweets started with “If I were governor…” the question became, “Are you running for governor?”
In response, Jones gave a few hints, but never directly said yes or no. Instead, he offered an analogy of baking a cake and the cake needing time and preparation to cook properly. He said, “I’m baking a cake. I’m not going to mess this cake up. I’m going to take it out when the time is appropriate.”
Continuing he claimed if he was governor, Trump would still be president because he would have campaigned for him in Georgia every single day.
With credentials ranging from optimizing organizations, agencies, and departments through corporate training to experience as a Chief Executive, he said he has been a Chief Executive longer than Brian Kemp. Serving twice as a County Executive in Dekalb County including nearly $4 billion in budget, one of the largest police departments in the state, one of the largest transportation budgets, public utilities, and the involved staff for that organization, Jones said he is among the most effective Chief Executives to ever come through Georgia. He never raised taxes, managed Bond referendums, and proved himself a fiscal conservative.
In his time in Florida, spending time with Trump, the discussions of the coming elections showcased Trumps movements in the coming months. Vernon spoke on efforts to grow the Republican Party, to expand it in the coming elections to make it stronger. In order to accomplish that, he said, “Yes, I’m a candidate for running to save America.”
He did not elaborate on what office or exactly when, but what is important to Jones is Georgia. He said, “If you’re not taking me seriously about my efforts looking at running for Governor and putting Georgia first, then you’re out of your mind.”
Jones also spoke on other members of the party with a message of unity. When asked about opponents to face Raphael Warnock and the possibility of Doug Collins returning to an office, he said, “Doug Collins is as solid as Stone Mountain.”
He said that he knows Collins loves Georgia and wants to help Georgians. An “asset to Georgia,” he needs to be a part. Jones said he doesn’t believe Collins should be on the sidelines.
Jones invited Republicans to join the movement to reinvigorate and strengthen the party finding more information at wakingupamerica.us and signing up to be a part of the process and efforts to bring back jobs, economy, freedoms, and constitutional rights.
News for anti-enforcement Metro-Atlanta Sheriffs: Georgia law requires all jailers to report incarcerated illegal aliens to DHS
Opinion January 27, 2021
Governor Brian Kemp remains silent on illegal immigration
Written and submitted By D.A. King
In 2011, Aurelio Mayo Perez, an illegal alien, was booked into the Cobb County jail for no driver’s license but released due to an immigration enforcement reduction edict from then-President Barack Obama. Two years later, Mayo Perez was charged with aggravated child molestation and rape. The name of the ten-year old girl he was convicted of repeatedly molesting is not available.
Last week, newly sworn Cobb County Sheriff Craig Owens held an elaborate press conference packed with invited anti-enforcement activists and proudly announced his termination of the 287(g) program. The Marietta Daily Journal described the event’s big finish with “…as the event ended, and a mariachi band began to play, the mood in the room was decidedly celebratory. The new sheriff even took to the floor and waltzed for a moment, reveling in his audience’s approval.” Cobb County Deputy Sheriff Loren Lilly – killed in a 2007 traffic crash by an unlicensed illegal alien driver – was unable to attend.
Democrat Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid pronounced Owens’ decision “bold, necessary, and overdue.” Cobb’s new District Attorney, Flynn Broady weighed in with “this is going to make our community safer.” We recommend reading the entire MDJ report
Created by Congress in 1996, and signed into law by Bill Clinton, the voluntary 287(g) program is a tool used to expand the authority of local law enforcement to locate and report to ICE illegal aliens, usually in county jails. It’s a deterrent. Then-Senator Joe Biden voted in favor of passage.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Owens claims “the program morphed into one that profiled immigrants through traffic stops, which resulted in them being deported on misdemeanor charges.” While Sheriff Owens – a former Cobb County policeman – is certainly free to smear his fellow law enforcement officers with shameless accusations of profiling, he should understand that it’s illegal aliens who are deported and that removal is the punishment for illegal immigration, not traffic violations.
Jose Alfaro-Contraras, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was one of the gunmen in an April, 2015 armed robbery of the owner of a check-cashing store in Duluth. A year earlier, Alfaro-Contraras had been in the Gwinnett County jail on a shoplifting charge. He was released because “minor crime.”
The above examples are taken from a 2017 report “Jail records reveal immigrants not deported after minor crimes later commit worse ones” from Atlanta’s Fox Five TV News investigative reporter Randy Travis.
(L) -Cobb Co. Sheriff Craig Owens, (R) -Gwinnett County Sheriff Keybo Taylor Photo credit: WSB-TV/Twitter
In Gwinnett County, on his first day in office, Sheriff Keybo Taylor made his enforcement policy clear when he quit the 287(g) program: “What we will not be doing is notifying ICE of anybody’s immigration status in the jail or any of our facilities…” said Taylor at his own presser. He told a local NPR interviewer 287(g) is slanted towards “people of color.”
“So basically, what that program started to do was target, uh, you know, people of color that were in this country that’s undocumented, so, you know, it became, you know, a racist issue for me…”,
Taylor says he would rather focus on gang members. I was curious, so I checked with experts on gangs in Gwinnett and the skin color concern Taylor expressed. But on that topic Sheriff Taylor does have worries about borders “…crime and criminals…they don’t, they do not respect borders, so, you know, it’s nothing to come from Atlanta to Gwinnett County…” says Taylor. Indeed.
In print and radio interviews, both sheriffs have done a remarkable job of learning and adhering to the anti-287(g) talking points distributed by the far-left. Below are some of those tips from a 2008 ACLU ‘toolkit.’
‘How to oppose 287(g) agreements in your state or locality’
* Always describe how police enforcement of immigration laws endangers public safety for everyone.
* Assert that local police of immigration laws will result in widespread racial profiling.
* Assert that immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the federal government.
* Assert that police resources are stretched thin already.
Georgia law: A ‘Plan B’ to address anti-enforcement sheriffs
Attention Georgia prosecutors, including Flynn Broady in Cobb County: Independent of 287(g), longstanding (2006) state law (OCGA 42-4-14) requires jailers to check the immigration status of incoming foreign prisoners. “If the foreign national is determined to be an illegal alien, the keeper of the jail or other officer shall notify the United States Department of Homeland Security, or other office or agency designated for notification by the federal government.”
This “Plan B” would be much more effective if it is actually enforced and if Gov. Kemp would end his silence on illegal immigration. See the Dustin Inman Society Brian Kemp file here.
D.A. King is president of the non-profit, Georgia-based Dustin Inman Society.
OPINION: Remembering Brian Kemp “Big Truck” Campaign Ads: Broken Promises on Illegal Aliens
Opinion January 22, 2021
Written by: Debbie Dooley
Remember the primary election campaign ad in which Gov. Brian Kemp told us – and the world – “I got a big truck, just in case I need to round up criminal illegals and take ’em home myself?” We do. Heard anything on illegal immigration from him since 2018? We haven’t.
Even though states cannot deport illegal aliens (only the feds can do that), in 2018 Kemp promised to create a “Track and Deport Plan.” And he promised to create a criminal alien database. None of this has happened and he is defiant in his silence because he thinks you will also be silent.
During the 2018 primary election, Kemp presented himself as a determined pro-enforcement advocate on criminal aliens and made a host of promises on illegal immigration, including very detailed proposals on legislation he would send to the state legislature. Kemp’s campaign pledges on illegal immigration are a large part of the how he won the endorsement from President Trump, which is a major reason he won the primary and the governorship. Since then, it’s crickets from Kemp on illegal immigration and the associated crime and job theft.
He must answer for this betrayal. At least Joe Biden admits which side he is on.
D.A. King at the Dustin Inman Society has compiled an extensive Brian Kemp file over the years that is a ‘must read’ for conservatives who are taking a second look at Kemp.
“It’s not only the fact that Gov. Kemp showed us who he really is when he pulled his “Big Truck Trick” on trusting conservatives. Georgians are being displaced from badly needed jobs by black market labor and criminal aliens are being released from county jails to go on and commit more criminal acts”, D.A. told me. “He has turned his back on Georgians who depend on leadership on the issue while DHS tells us we have more illegal aliens here than Arizona.”
Foreign language videos to help non-English speakers vote in Georgia
D.A.’s file reminded us that when he was Secretary of State, Kemp spent tax dollars to create foreign language videos to help non-English speakers register and vote in Georgia. Yep, he did that.
“Kemp’s State of the State silence on voter security should not be ignored, considering Georgia issues foreign nationals temporary drivers licenses and ID that are nearly identical to the ones eligible American voters get.” Most people are going to be stunned on this one. D.A. King explained to me that there is no law to prohibit these non-citizen drivers licenses from being considered “proper ID” for voting. You need to read about that from D.A. too.
We hope you will take a long look at the “Brian Kemp” file at the Dustin Society website. You can see some of the now forgotten Brian Kemp campaign ads there.
You can leave a message for Gov. Kemp at his capitol office at 404-656-1776.
Gov. Kemp and Lawmakers Ignoring Proven $100 million Annual Revenue Source
Opinion, Politics January 20, 2021
System working in Oklahoma since 2010 involves no sports betting
Written and submitted by D.A. King
Georgia voters should be asking why Governor Kemp and all concerned under the Gold Dome are ignoring a proven successful process to create a new revenue stream estimated to add about $100 million to Georgia coffers annually.
It’s a refundable fee on money wired out of the state that has been working in Oklahoma for more than a decade and will not cost state tax-filers a penny.
Many of us would be keen on hearing about this from the assorted state lawmakers pushing to start the casino gambling stone down the hill by legalizing sports betting as source of revenue. With the current ongoing pandemic budget woes, $100 million in new, yearly revenue seems like real money.
Well-written legislation was introduced in previous years that would mimic a working system in Oklahoma that has added to that state’s budget since 2010. The Gold Dome legislation is still readily available. This idea may require citizen pressure to receive the focus it warrants because the “business first” special interest lobby in Atlanta has worked hard to keep the proven system out of public sight or official consideration. The measure has never seen a hearing.
Oklahoma has shown us a way to tap into the enormous amount of money that is sent out of Georgia every year that now goes nowhere near the Georgia economy or state coffers – and the best news is that the majority of that money comes from drug dealers and illegal aliens!
What is it? A small, 100% refundable fee on funds wired out of Georgia that tax-filers easily recoup on their state tax returns. In simple terms, it goes like this: Let’s say you wire $1000.00 to Aunt Tilly in New York to help with her rent – or you send part of your under-the-table cash wages from your landscaping job to family in Oaxaca. When the payment is sent out, the wire service would add on a small extra fee (around 2%) – which you would get back when you file your tax return or a simple, short form explaining that you are not required to file a return.
The wire transfer agency would be compensated by the state for the collection effort.
The fee would be added to all the money the criminal black market – including illegal drug dealers and “undocumented workers” wire home literally every day.
The government of Mexico alone received about $25 billion American dollars in 2019, mostly from its citizens living here in the good old USA. That is more money than Mexico made on oil revenues. “Against initial estimates and despite the COVID-19 crisis, we estimate that remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean will reach US$ 70.4 billion (+6.0%) and in Mexico to US$ 39.5 billion (+8.4%) in 2020” according to economists who study the topic.
According to the Oklahoma Tax Commission for the year 2019, Oklahoma realized more than $19 million from the refundable wire transfer fee system, largely provided by black market labor. According to the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, Georgia has more illegal aliens than Arizona – and many more than Oklahoma. We don’t have figures on how many American dollars are sent out of Georgia by drug dealers, but Atlanta is a known terminus for that insidious organized crime.
The income for the state in this genius plan comes from the fact that the huge majority of criminals in the underground economy do not file a tax return.
Everyone who files a state tax return or special short form can get the fee back. Fake news from the Atlanta Journal Constitution on a previous attempt to see passage of this available revenue stream bill requires me to repeat: The fully refundable wire transfer withholding would apply to everyone who wires money out of Georgia, regardless of its final destination.
The AJC falsely reported that the fully refundable wire transfer fee concept is a “tax” and apply only to foreigners sending money to their home countries. And they didn’t seem to like the idea that it would affect illegal aliens.
We hope the Governor Kemp and concerned, responsible legislators will take a hard look at the proven $100 million a year revenue program for themselves – maybe even give it a hearing.
Georgia voters should do more than merely hope. Governor Kemp’s office is 404-656-1776.
A recognized authority on illegal immigration and Georgia’s General Assembly, D.A. King is president of the Georgia-based Dustin Inman Society. He is not a member of any political party. @DAKDIS
Did Brian Kemp and Kelly Loeffler have a deal for the Senate seat?
Featured, Featured Stories February 23, 2020
On December 4, 2019, Georgia Governor Brian P. Kemp introduced Kelly Loeffler to be the next Senator to replace retiring Georgia Statesman Johnny Isakson. Isakson announced his retirement midway through his term on August 28, 2019. In this narrative, we will look at why Isakson picked August to retire and we will ask the question, should there be a full investigation into Loeffler’s appointment to the Senate?
Picture of Senator Kelly Loeffler getting off her new jet. New around 25 million. Used around 7 million. It looks like Loeffler is not flying Delta and this is not a Kia.
On this December day, Governor Kemp spun everything in Georgia politics out of control. Everything surrounding the Loeffler pick rests squarely on the shoulders of Governor Kemp and I will explain my reasoning:
We need to ask why pick Kelly Loeffler. What was Kemp thinking? I’m sure he knew picking her as his choice would not sit well with his base. Loeffler is married to Jeffery C. Sprecher. Who is Sprecher? He is CEO of Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), owner, yes owner, of the New York stock exchange as well as several Commodity Exchanges worldwide. ICE also has a super PAC they use to contribute to many Republicans and Democrats alike. For example, he made contributions to Republicans, like Senator Mitt Romney, who just voted to impeach President Donald J. Trump and California Congresswoman “Impeach 45” Democrat, Maxine Waters. ICE PAC contributions to Majority Forward, from their website reads,
“Majority Forward is a Democratic Party-aligned advocacy group that campaigns against Republicans and conservative causes. Intercontinental Exchange PAC, gave it $20,000 in 2016.”
The same year Trump was running for president. Somehow Kelly and Jeff missed giving Trump any money in his 2016 campaign.
Senator Loeffler’s new jet is not available for public tracking.
So why would Kemp appoint someone who would immediately become the wealthiest person in congress? Why appoint someone who owns three private jets that may total up word of 75 million dollars? Why appoint someone who owns a WNBA team, knowing that the WNBA has a sponsor relationship with Planned Parenthood? At one game, Loeffler honored Stacey Abrams at the same time she was running against Brian Kemp for Governor. We have to keep asking why? I think I know why, please keep reading.
Now let me be clear, this article is not an endorsement of Congressman Doug Collins to have been picked for the open senate seat. However, Collins sure was the favorite pick of President Trump, as referenced on two occasions before the Loeffler pick: once in person when Trump visited Atlanta, another by phone encouraging Kemp to pick Doug Collins. I understand Kemp may not like the optics of Trump picking Georgia’s next Senator but why snub the President when he asked for someone he trusted to go fight for him against the Democrats?
It’s not like Trump “ever did anything” to help Kemp when he was running for governor. Remember, just days before the Republican Primary when the President tweeted out
“Brian is tough on crime, strong on the border and illegal immigration. He loves our Military and our Vets and protects our Second Amendment. I give him my full and total endorsement,”
I bet Casey Cagle will never forget it! I know, because I was the first one with a video camera who bumped into Cagle after Trump sent out that tweet endorsing Kemp. Just days later Kemp won a runoff to become the Republican nominee to take on Stacey Abrams. Remember, just days before the general election Trump landed Air Force One in Macon, Ga. to an estimated crowd of 25-35 thousand supporters. They showed up to see President Trump on stage with Brian Kemp, millions watching nationwide. That day, Trump did his Republican duty of helping Republicans get elected. On that day, Trump pushed Kemp to a national figure.
Kemp went on to beat Stacey Abrams by about 50 thousand votes and became Governor of the State of Georgia. President Trump did his job helping Republicans get elected. So why would Kemp not be excited to return the favor and appoint Doug Collins as the President requested. Yes, the President is asking and few turn down the President’s requests…so why did Kemp? Just ask Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis took one ride on Air Force One and went from an unrecognizable candidate to Governor. Wonder if he would respect the President’s request in the same situation?
Kemp and Loeffler took a Sunday “drive” on one of her Intercontinental Exchange Jets to visit President Trump. One wonders what the conversation was like during that hour and a half flight to D.C.? Maybe something like this,
Kemp…”don’t worry Kelly, Trump likes me and once I explain to him why I am going to pick you he will be fine. When he thinks about how much money you bring to the table he will be fine”. Kelly…”Trump better be OK with me being picked…Brian, you know the deal….” Maybe something like that.
The Wall Street Journal published that the meeting didn’t go well.
“Georgia Governor, Trump Appear at Odds Over Senate Pick. But the private huddle turned tense and ended quickly, according to people familiar with the meeting. Mr. Trump prefers Rep. Doug Collins, a Republican who has vocally defended the president during the impeachment process, and he told Mr. Kemp that he would be taking a risk by appointing the politically untested Ms. Loeffler. At one point Mr. Trump questioned why they were holding the meeting if Mr. Kemp had made his decision.”
“Mr. Kemp left the state unannounced and kept the meeting secret from some top aides.”
“The governor’s office declined to comment for this article before publication. After the article was posted, Kemp spokeswoman Candice Broce said in a statement: “Governor Kemp plans to appoint a strong supporter of the President who will end the impeachment circus and advance conservative policies that Keep America Great.”
What was the mood on the plane ride back to Atlanta? Maybe something like this:
Kelly… “Brian, I don’t care what the President said…you know the deal.” Jeffery…”yes Brian, you know the deal.” Brian..”.yes I am fully aware of the deal.”
We need to know if Kelly’s husband was actually on the plane. We need to know who else went on that Sunday trip to D.C. We need to know why Kemp needed to get out of town without his top advisers. We need not forget they took the trip on Kelly’s private plane. President Trump even called Kemp Monday to reiterate his pick for Senate, Doug Collins.
Why is, what some would ask, Kemp so “hell-bent” to appoint Loeffler? Wow…the pressure Kemp is now under but he continues to press forward with Loeffler.
What deal you ask…we will get to that but first, we must lay all the groundwork.
Let’s look at the next stage that I call “The Kemp Smoke Screen.” On September 17, 2019, Kemp launched a website asking all Georgians who met the qualifications and wanted to be considered to replace Johnny Isakson as the next Senator, to send him a resume. From the website,
“We will carefully vet the applicants and choose a person who best reflects our values, our state, and our vision for the future,”
A real Mr. Smith goes to Washington. It is Kemp’s Georgia Constitutional duty to appoint someone to fill the Senate vacancy until the next scheduled election.
So Kemp’s plan to lead every Georgian to believe that they could be the next senator, was roundly applauded. National media took notice. Kemp could send a real Mr.Smith to Washington and not some establishment politician or better yet, not the highest bidder. You know that kind of negotiating that landed former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich in jail for trying to sell Barack Obama’s senate seat even though he didn’t complete the deal? Question…was there a deal with Loeffler? Over 500 applications submitted, we could have had a mom, dad, auto mechanic, teacher, former Congressman, and maybe even a talk show host. This looked like the Brian Kemp that the anti-establishment supporters voted for in 2018.
One of the 500 applicants was Congressman Doug Collins. Collins applied on September 19th, 2019, just 2 days after Kemp launched the website. From the website:
“The deadline to apply for a gubernatorial appointment to the U.S. Senate was Monday, November 18, 2019 at 5 PM.”
Guess who applied in the final hour of the final day? Yes, you guessed it – Miss Kelly Loeffler.
Now here is where we need to ask questions concerning the “Great Brian Kemp Smoke Screen.” There needs to be a full investigation into Kemp’s process of picking Loeffler as Senator and what happened to the other candidates. We need to ask: Who was on the team that reviewed the applications for consideration? How many applicants were interviewed? Was there a two-part interview process? Provide a list of names who were interviewed by the Governor? Did Kemp interview Doug Collins? If Kemp held interviews, who was in the interviews? How many interviews did Loeffler have with the Governor after she applied? Was Loeffler’s husband, Jeffery Sprecher in any of the interviews? How many meetings did Kemp have with Loeffler and Sprecher together or separately before she applied? When and where? So many unanswered questions.
On January 6th, 2020 Kemp announced to Georgia citizens he had chosen Kelly Loeffler to be the next Senator. In a photo-op, Kemp invited women from the Republican Party. My push is to make Kelly acceptable to the Republican Party, statewide. No, Mr. Smith was not going to Washington and it was now time to sell Kelly to Georgians. The Republican Party says they have been losing suburban Atlanta Republican women and Kelly would bring them back to the Party. It was now time to sell Kelly as the most Pro-life, second amendment, pro-Trump conservative in Georgia. Just about an hour after the appointment the emails started going out. The same campaign consulting group that handled the Kemp campaign got the job to handle the “Kelly” campaign. Parlay Marketing Partners, LLC, Joel McElhannon and Ryan Mahoney were chosen. Kelly immediately put up 20 million dollars for her campaign and Parlay was more than ready to start creating their candidate and selling her to the people as “you know, I’m the pro-Trump, pro-life conservative, Kelly”. We need to know when they were hired. It must have taken a week to prep the rollout beginning just hours after Kemp announced Loeffler. Did Kemp complete the deal that day? Was there a deal? The Governor could clear this all up with transparency and a thorough investigation.
Now let’s look at what “could be” the deal. Let’s look at Hart AgStrong and the sale to Perdue AgriBusness. This may be all smoke.
Remember during the Republican Governor race run off when it was revealed that a company Kemp was associated with defaulted on a half-million-dollar loan that Kemp personally guaranteed for Hart AgStrong. From the AJC,
Picture from the Atlanta Jewish Times. Greeting Gov. Brian Kemp was Jeffrey Sprecher (left), CEO of the Intercontinental Exchange and chairman of the New York Stock Exchange.
“The lawsuit has been filed by RLP Investments and its owner, Toccoa resident Rick Phillips. While Hart AgStrong CEO Robert Davis, Kemp and the company itself are all listed as defendants in the lawsuit, the investor told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this month that Kemp was responsible for the cash.“He’s the only person I ever dealt with,” Phillips said. “I loaned this money to Brian Kemp. I loaned it to Hart AgStrong at the request of Brian Kemp, and he personally guaranteed it.”
From another AJC article,
“When it needed a loan, Hart AgStrong, a grain processor, partly owned by Republican gubernatorial candidate Brian Kemp, put up as collateral, thousands of bushels of canola and sunflower seeds. The problem was, AgStrong didn’t own them. The company’s actions “may be a felony under Georgia law,” an attorney for the state Department of Agriculture wrote to AgStrong in April. The letter threatened to revoke AgStrong’s licenses to do business with Georgia farmers, collect a $70,000 fine, and liquidate the company’s assets to compensate farmers.”
Kemp said during the election this was all politics, basically nothing to see here. So what happened to the possible felonies and the lawsuit for the default on the loan? From the AP on January 23, 2019
“Brian Kemp quietly settles lawsuit over bad business loan just prior to taking office, Georgia’s Republican Gov. Brian Kemp quietly settled a lawsuit that said he owed $500,000 for a loan he negotiated and guaranteed for a struggling agricultural company. Court documents show a consent order between Kemp, the company Hart AgStrong and financier Rick Phillips was signed on January 8 and filed in Gwinnett County Superior Court on Jan. 11, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported .Kemp was sworn in as Georgia’s 83rd governor three days later. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.”
Quietly, just days before being sworn the deal is still undisclosed to the public. If the lawsuit would have been settled after becoming governor maybe the terms would have to be disclosed. So what’s the big deal…he settled the lawsuit. Wonder what RLP Investments owner Rick Phillips could say about this settlement. Who paid off the loan? If Kemp walked into Phillips’s office and paid off the loan why not go public? That may have looked good for the governor. Why the quietly undisclosed settlement?
Now let’s look at the sale of Hart AgStrong to Perdue AgriBusiness. Johnny Isakson retired August 28th, 2019. On August 5th, Perdue AgriBusiness closed the deal acquiring the assets of Hart AgStrong LLC. Was it just a coincidence that Isakson retired weeks after the “deal” was complete? Is it possible that this is what Johnny was waiting for before announcing his retirement? We understand the sale made “everyone” whole…paid in full.
From the AJC on December 11th,
“A struggling seed-crushing business partly owned by Gov. Brian Kemp, who was at the center of a years-long legal battle was recently sold to an agricultural giant for an undisclosed price. Perdue AgriBusiness bought Hart AgStrong in August, saying in a disclosure statement, that the company’s two seed-crushing plants will help supply factories in Middle Georgia and Virginia”…again with the undisclosed price”.
Picture from AJC at Black Tie event
So what does this have to do with Kemp appointing Loeffler to the senate? Maybe nothing but let’s look at Loeffler and her husband’s company Intercontinental Exchange. I don’t pretend to understand the commodity markets or global agriculture clearinghouses. From the ICE website, “Futures, options and OTC markets and clearinghouses, strategically designed to deliver global scale and local infrastructure across asset classes wherever our customers trade, invest or manage risk.” “Exchange-traded futures and options Agriculture” I understand they are the largest agricultural commodity trading company in the world. Wonder if they know someone at Perdue AgriBusiness? I wonder what would have made Perdue AgriBusiness interested in failing Hart AgStrong? Just wondering…
Now how long has Kemp known Loeffler and Sprecher? Kemp was Keynote speaker at the 30th anniversary Buckhead Coalition lunch in February 2019 where Sprecher was in attendance.
Another meeting came just weeks before Isakson announced his retirement. From AJC,
“At a black-tie gala for Georgia 4-H in August, finance executive Kelly Loeffler told the crowd of farmers, instructors and students how she got her start — tending soybeans and corn and caring for cattle on her family’s farm in rural Illinois. At the head table with Loeffler and her husband, Intercontinental Exchange CEO Jeff Sprecher, was another power couple they didn’t know well…Gov. Brian Kemp and first lady Marty Kemp. It was just a couple of weeks before U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson would announce his retirement.”
Wonder what they talked about at the head table that night. Did Kemp know weeks in advance that Isakson would retire?
Was there a deal in place? I don’t know but there is a lot of smoke.
So what if Kemp would have picked Mr. Smith and let the cards “fall where they may?” Mr. Smith, Doug Collins and Kelly Loeffler would be running for senate and maybe Mr. Smith would win re-election. We will never know because Governor Brian Kemp is trying to tell the people of Georgia that he picked the senator and that is final. Something seems terribly wrong!
Now Collins is in the race and being blamed for splitting the Republican party, really? If anyone is splitting the party that would be Brian P. Kemp. Check back as we look at the creation of a candidate. Loeffler, NRSC, Mitch McConnel, endorsements…
I think my first amendment rights allow me to ask, do I think there was a deal, yes. Do I think there should be a full investigation surrounding the possible deal, yes. Do I think possibly part of the deal is to get Loeffler re-elected, yes. One question I have is how did Congressman Doug Collins turn into the bad guy in all this?
Georgia Governor, Trump Appear at Odds Over Senate Pick
Brian Kemp quietly settles lawsuit over bad business loan
Intercontinental Exchange Inc PAC
Trump urges Ga. governor to make Collins his US Senate appointee
Report: Kemp resisting pressure from Trump on Senate appointment
At company Brian Kemp backed, unpaid debt and possible ‘felony’
Georgia’s senator Kelly Loeffler: a political novice with deep pockets
Ag giant acquires Kemp-backed company at center of legal dispute
Brian Kemp settles lawsuit over bad loan in company he backed