Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2009 > January > 28 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USThe untimely meeting of an e-mail and a Democratic push for ethics reform
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Campaign finance is the topic of the hour, involving two separate but ironically joined events.
First, we’ve secured a Jan. 15 e-mail sent out by the campaign of Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, addressed to high-end financial supporters:
Good afternoon.
By pledging to give or raise $20,000.00 by June 30th you have secured a place in Lt. Governor Cagle’s Founders Circle. We are having the first Circle event on Thursday, January 29th from 5:00-6:30 p.m. at Morton’s the Steakhouse downtown. We’ve reserved a private room for cocktails and light fare and hope you will join the Lt. Governor. Please RSVP at your earliest convenience.
Cagle is a 2010 Republican candidate for governor. Georgia law forbids state elected officials from fund-raising for state campaigns while the Legislature is in session. The idea of cash swapping hands while bills are moving is deemed unsavory.
The Cagle campaign says the e-mail refers to communications with supporters prior to the beginning of the legislative session.
Said spokeswoman Rebecca Cummiskey:
“The Cagle campaign is aware of and fully complies with Georgia law that prohibits requesting or receiving either pledges of contributions or contributions during the legislative session. The email you reference does not request pledges or contributions during the session, and the campaign does not accept either. The email is simply about a purely social get-together with the Lieutenant Governor and a key group of his advisors.”
But clearly some heavy-duty promises have been made.
By coincidence — and it truly was that — state Sen. George Hooks, a Democrat from Americus, took the well this morning to announce he was pursuing ethics legislation to make corporate giving more transparent.
His legislation, yet to be submitted, would require corporate bigwigs whose firms do business with the state to report campaign contributions within 48 hours.
“We need to take care of our own business and correct some loopholes we found in our own system,” Hooks said — as Cagle looked on from above.
Comments
By Ali A. Akbar
January 28, 2009 12:46 PM | Link to this
“Cagle is a 2010 Republican candidate for governor.”
Cagle is a 2010 Republican primary contender, battling against two State-wide officials as a referendum on his record. This isn’t common in most states around the country and speaks for itself.
It’s probably best Cagle go straight to the people using New Media, because it smells like things are going to get a bit tasty.
By peter
January 28, 2009 12:52 PM | Link to this
Cagle got caught. That’s all there is to it.
By peter
January 28, 2009 12:53 PM | Link to this
Cagle got caught. That’s all there is to it.
By GoOX
January 28, 2009 12:55 PM | Link to this
Wow, pay to play. Maybe we have Georgia’s version of Blago
By ben
January 28, 2009 2:35 PM | Link to this
seems like there’s no “there” there… what’s the big deal? clearly the cagle campaign is following the law - this article doesn’t seem to make any effort disputing that fact.
slow news day makes for some boring reading, i guess. cagle has raised a lot of money and no doubt will raise a lot more…nothing wrong with an email thanking supporters.
By jason
January 28, 2009 3:20 PM | Link to this
This is typical junk journalism we have come to expect from the fine reporters at the capitol. I could dig up a more scathing political story at my daughters t-ball game.
By GoOX
January 28, 2009 4:02 PM | Link to this
It’s against the law to raise or solicit money during the session.
By JT
January 28, 2009 7:15 PM | Link to this
It’s obvious Cagle got caught red-handed. So now it’s just a “social get-together with the Lieutenant Governor and a key group of his advisors” yet the email starts with the fundraising pitch. Furthermore, if the email really was just to those who had pledged to give money then why did the receiver want to give it to the AJC. $20,000 is a lot of money. Looks like a shakedown to me. Definitely a solicitation. And on the verge of Pay-to-Play. A shame too. I thought he was better then this.
By Melissa
January 28, 2009 10:12 PM | Link to this
When you ask supporters to “pledge” to give money during the session, you have officially violated Georgia law that prohibits requesting or receiving pledges of contributions during the legislative session. It does not matter when you receive the money, but when you ask for it. I’m sure that ethics complaint will look mighty fine on Cagle’s ads for Governor. Alongside the tv ad that starts. When GA was talking about the sunshine laws and open government, most people thought about people dealing in the public eye, to make sure that shady deals at the Capitol weren’t being made. To Casey Cagle that just meant letting the people of GA know that his vote is publicly for sale and now we know how much.
By ImCaseyBuyMyVote
January 28, 2009 10:24 PM | Link to this
Hi, I’m Casey Cagle, if you pledge $20,000 you can have a private meeting with me and all the rest of the people who are rich and can pay me $20,000. Pay me the $20,000 by June and I’ll give you what you want now. I call it cutwaste.org, pay me now and I’ll cut out every one you ask me to.
Signed, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle
By Mullet
January 28, 2009 11:18 PM | Link to this
I am not sure why a blog post such as this is even being discussed. Everyone in the State of Georgia knows that it is illegal to ask for or accept contributions during the legislative session, and the e-mail in question as stated does neither. In campaigns, such as for Governor, teams are built to make fundraising goals, and if anyone on the planet doesn’t think that Handel, Oxendine, Barns, Scott, Poythress, Porter, and Barns are not doing the exact same thing is living in a dream world. The election is not until ’10 and already the rocks are flying, how about everyone calm down a bit, because this thing is going to get nasty enough in due course.
By Mullet
January 28, 2009 11:20 PM | Link to this
I am not sure why a blog post such as this is even being discussed. Everyone in the State of Georgia knows that it is illegal to ask for or accept contributions during the legislative session, and the e-mail in question as stated does neither. In campaigns, such as for Governor, teams are built to make fundraising goals, and if anyone on the planet doesn’t think that Handel, Oxendine, Barns, Scott, Poythress, Porter, and Barns are not doing the exact same thing is living in a dream world. The election is not until ’10 and already the rocks are flying, how about everyone calm down a bit, because this thing is going to get nasty enough in due course.
By Melissa
January 29, 2009 12:55 AM | Link to this
Mullet,
I would not accuse other candidates of violating ethics rules unless you have some proof. Further, why should this not be discussed? He is asking for a pledge of 20,000 during the session, is he not? That is blatantly against the rules. NOT to mention unethical as hell. There is a reason rules like these are in place.
By Mullet
January 29, 2009 4:11 PM | Link to this
If you read the quoted text, please tell me where he is asking for money. The text merely states that these individuals have pledged to raise this sum of money by a certain date. I did not accuse any other candidates of breaking ethics laws because Cagle is not doing so in the first place. The law states that a candidate may not ask for or receive contributions during the session, and in which neither has taken place, but rather a reaffirmation of pledges already given. My reference to other candidates is simply the fact that if you believe that these candidates do not have fundraising steering committees and are not also attempting to line up support and funds for the future “after the legislative session” then you are truly living in a dream world.
By Sean Frazier
January 31, 2009 7:19 PM | Link to this
This kind of nonesense reporting is only proof that Casey is the clear front runner. He is two miles ahead of everyone else…