A.M. ATL: Who got paid by First Liberty

Morning, y’all! We have a cute wine story in today’s edition, which led me to a brilliant idea: reverse wine tasting. A wine expert has you taste a bunch of wine, and all you have to do is say whether you like it. After a few rounds of this, they provide you with personalized wine opinions that you can adopt to sound very fancy at dinner. “Oh, I’ll have the Malbec, please. I prefer my reds from Argentina. Janice the sommelier told me so.”

Let’s get to it.

MORE CONSEQUENCES FOR FIRST LIBERTY

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

First Liberty Building & Loan, the bank that allegedly ran a $140 million Ponzi scheme on conservative investors, could now be the target of a class action lawsuit.

The principal of a Georgia investment firm that sunk $50K into the scheme is leading a legal challenge in Coweta County Superior Court that seeks class action status on behalf of other investors.
That’s on top of a bombshell complaint filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in early July.

Brant Frost IV and his family allegedly fleeced investors to enrich themselves and funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars to conservative political candidates — while rising in conservative spheres of influence themselves.
First Liberty gained clients with the help of conservative media spots and high-profile endorsements. Now, some of those same media outlets have distanced themselves from the controversy.

The AJC compiled a detailed list of the political groups and politicians who received funding from the Frost family. Their biggest donations went to the Georgia Republican Assembly PAC. In fact, Frost money accounted for 40% of all the funds raised by the PAC while it was active.

Not signed up yet? What’re you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.

MORE PLANS FOR MIDTOWN PARK

Credit: Mirtha Donastorg/AJC

I swear, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Midtown office is smack in the middle of one of the prettiest places in the city. Except for the big dirt lot, of course. We see it every time we walk through the building complex.

The Midtown Alliance Group has big plans for that dirt lot. Earlier this year, it announced intent to build a public park on the land along 14th Street.
Now, the organization is seeking design proposals for something truly unique. Something fundamentally Atlanta. Something ... way better than a big lot of dirt.

“The concept must reflect a compelling blend of art, technology, nature and public life, positioning this space as both a front porch for Atlanta and an open-air community center for Midtown,” the group said in a posting for ideas.

Meanwhile, Atlanta’s park cred has already improved. The city jumped from No. 25 to No. 21 on Trust for Public Land’s annual ParkScore Index.

LATEST ON MARTA ESCALATOR FAILURE

Earlier this week, escalator experts who reviewed the footage of the July 15 MARTA escalator failure at the Vine City station said the malfunction was likely caused by a brake failure, not weight overload as MARTA authorities initially claimed.

The incident after a Beyoncé concert sent almost a dozen people to the hospital.
Security camera video shows the escalator suddenly speeding up with riders aboard.

The incident is another black mark for MARTA at a pivotal time. The agency’s GM recently stepped down, and recent issues with delays and poor performance during crowded events have leaders wondering if the agency can get back on track.

WEEKEND PLANS

Credit: Rodney Ho/AJC

Can you believe it’s almost back-to-school? I can. I don’t have kids and haven’t been in a classroom in almost 20 years. Still. Time to make the most of summer.

🎸 An immersive rock experience: Get loud at “Amplified,” a 55-minute show at Illuminarium Atlanta that captures hundreds of music acts from Elvis to Lizzo. Details here.

🍦 Atlanta Ice Cream Festival: Ahh, that sounds refreshing. Music acts and nonfood vendors round out the event at Piedmont Park.

🚂 Railroad Rendezvous: An interactive model train, blacksmithing and telegraph demonstrations and a tour of an actual locomotive? Say less, we’re there.

🍿 Popcorn in the Park: Relax and watch “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in Fairington Park.

☀️ Want more? Plenty of family-friendly weekend inspo right here

MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS

⚖️ The Justice Department met with Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of Jeffrey Epstein who’s currently serving a 20-year sentence. The House Committee on Oversight also issued a subpoena yesterday for Maxwell to testify before committee officials next month.

🐘 Gov. Brian Kemp is playing kingmaker in the GA Senate race. Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King dropped out of the race after a private conversation with Kemp. The governor is said to favor former football coach Derek Dooley for the Republican ticket.

AND WHAT SHALL WE BE HAVING WITH THAT LEMON PEPPER WET?

Credit: File

Ah, lemon pepper wet. A rhythmic combination of words that matches the heartbeat of Atlanta. If you really want to class up your next wing plate, Atlanta-area sommeliers told the AJC their wine pairing picks for Atlanta’s iconic sauce.

“With the consistent elevation of the hospitality experiences in Atlanta, it only makes sense to have a baller wine pairing for such an iconic dish,” Jade Palmer of Madeira Park said.

Several experts mentioned the same wine: R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Gravonia, a white Rioja. But if Spanish wines aren’t your preferred palate, madame, there are plenty more.

🍷 READ MORE: ATL wine experts’ LPW picks

NEWS BITES

Hulk Hogan, pro wrestling icon, has died at 71

Keep your ’80s and ’90s heroes close because this week is not playing around.

Atlanta United disappointed with season but working on a transfer plan

Gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.

What the Georgia Gardner does when there’s a bird in the house

You can try to reason with it, but the bird likely won’t see your point of view.

How a conspiracy of kindness saved a coyote that just wanted to play with dogs

Opposite energy of “bird in the house” and with a much sweeter ending.

ON THIS DATE

July 25, 1991

Credit: AJC

From the front page of The Atlanta Journal: Sharing a piece of Buckhead’s past. Buckhead bid farewell today to a reminder of its beginnings as a dead oak on West Paces Ferry Road was cut down. Bill Naylor carries a piece of the tree, which stood near the reputed site of a tavern where, legend has it, a deer’s head placed on a pole in 1837 gave the community its name.

Fun fact: Many years ago, I wrote a story called “America’s Saddest Trees,” because it is 100% OK and in fact encouraged to mourn the passing of an important tree. You can’t find it online anymore, but this would be a good addition.

ONE MORE THING

We have a buck head in our library, and occasionally people will be like, “Nice deer, where’d you bag it?” And my husband and I, not hunters, get to say, “Oh, a nice little antique shop in Braselton.” Its name is Brutus.

Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.

Until next time.

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