Why financial troubles might not matter as much as they seem in Georgia politics
Over at Georgia Report, Tom Crawford has a more sweeping look at the story we brought you Thursday on Republican Chuck Payne's bankruptcy history.
Payne, a candidate for an open north Georgia Senate seat to be decided next month, said his 2013 bankruptcy filing over about $12,000 in credit card debt and consumer bank loan debt gives him a unique perspective on the state's economy.
"I’m running for office to give a voice to those who often feel like they don’t have one," he said in a statement.
Crawford sees a trend: A growing number of lawmakers in Georgia from both parties elected despite their financial problems.
House Speaker David Ralston paid more than $400,000 in federal back taxes, interest and penalties, and $33,000 in unpaid withholding and Social Security taxes for his law firm employees. He blamed an employee for embezzlement and has continued to be reelected by a majority of his constituents.
House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams (D-Atlanta) had to contend with a federal tax lien that she said resulted from claiming her medically ailing parents as dependents. She paid off the $29,725 lien and remains in the House leadership ranks.
For more proof that a tortured financial history might not matter as much as it once did, look no further than the White House.
President-elect Donald Trump's companies filed for bankruptcy protection no fewer than six times and turned his massive losses into a tax advantage. And his refusal to disclose his tax returns - long a rite of passage for presidential contenders - seems to have mattered little to his supporters.
About the Author
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
