Many Georgia families fled to the beach or the mountains when the school year ended and summer began. But some state officials got an early start on summer vacation — with food and lodging paid by lobbyists representing Georgia’s doctors.
The Medical Association of Georgia spent more than $20,000 for legislators and state health officials to attend a seminar at the Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa in May. The medical group wasn’t the only one paying for lawmakers’ summer getaways.
Lobbyists spent at least $83,000 on trips for Georgia public officials over the summer months, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution review of state records found. That includes travel, lodging and meals for trips to such scenic locales as Amelia Island, Florida; Hilton Head, South Carolina; and Boston.
That doesn’t include tens of thousands of dollars in more routine spending in Atlanta on meals and less formal gatherings to lobby elected officials.
Lawmakers and interest groups told the AJC such trips are a part of educating public officials about issues important to key constituencies. There’s just no other way, they said.
“That’s the only way we know what to bring back and report to our committee,” said state Sen. Carden Summers, R-Cordele, who chairs the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee, who attended a bankers convention in Boston.
Rosario Palacios, executive director of the government watchdog group Common Cause Georgia, said the trips underscore the influence of special interests on elected officials — influence she said can come at the expense of ordinary voters.
“What average constituent in Georgia can afford to send legislators on expensive trips?” Palacios asked. “Is that the cost of accessing an elected official who should be accountable to constituents?”
Mountain getaway
Georgia law requires lobbyists to report the money they spend to influence politicians and other state officials. The AJC reviewed hundreds of lobbyist reports covering those activities from May through August.
The newspaper found lobbyists paid for travel, lodging and food for scores of legislators and others to attend at least 15 conferences and other events during that period. The tally doesn’t include spending on events and meetings that didn’t involve travel and lodging. It also doesn’t include some trips for which lobbyists have yet to submit reports.
Such trips are a regular summer occurrence — a chance for legislators and interest groups to mingle and discuss issues, often at scenic locales.
The Medical Association of Georgia seminar kicked off the summer legislative season May 16-18. Tucked away in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa offers guests “a luxury mountain experience,” according to its website. It features fine dining, a links-style championship golf course and accommodations “designed to feel luxurious and cozy.”
The Medical Association of Georgia hosted 29 lawmakers and four state health officials at the resort for a “legislative seminar.” Senators and representatives of both parties attended. Among them were former Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, who had just announced his candidacy for lieutenant governor, and House Minority Caucus Vice President Spencer Frye, D-Athens.
Gooch and Frye did not respond to requests for comment. Neither did the medical association.
Promotional materials said the seminar would bring together physicians, state legislators and other state officials “to build relationships and discuss the issues important to the practice of medicine.”
The association spent up to $297 a night on lodging and up to $125 a day on meals per legislator, according to lobbyist disclosure reports.
The seminar came less than a month after Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation limiting large awards in lawsuits — a top priority of the medical association. The group’s other legislative priorities included improving the health insurance authorization process, increasing coverage for the uninsured and developing Georgia’s physician workforce.
From the beach to Boston
The Georgia Automobile Dealers Association spent about $12,800 to host nine legislators for its annual conference on Sea Island in June. Among those who attended were Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II, D-Augusta, and Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee Chairman Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, a GOP candidate for attorney general. Neither responded to requests for comment.
In a statement to the AJC, auto dealers association President Lea Bahl Kirschner said the conference provided dealers, sponsors and state leaders a chance to “come together to discuss the issues shaping our industry and its role in Georgia’s economy.”
Kirschner said the conference featured sessions with national industry experts and “opportunities to exchange ideas on topics such as market trends, regulatory changes and consumer needs.” She noted the lobbying expenditures were reported, in compliance with state law.
“We believe that open dialogue between policymakers and business leaders benefits not only our members, but also the millions of Georgians who buy, sell and service vehicles every year,” Kirschner said.
Elsewhere, the Georgia Forestry Association hosted 22 legislators at its July conference on Jekyll Island, spending $11,264. Timber is a top crop in Georgia, and the state is tops in the nation in timber harvesting
The conference, hosted at an oceanfront convention center, brought together industry stakeholders and policymakers to discuss “issues facing the sector — from market dynamics and innovation to sustainability and stewardship,” the association said in a statement to the AJC.
“By fostering education and dialogue, the conference ensures Georgia’s forestry community is equipped to remain resilient and competitive in the years ahead,” according to the statement.
The conference also featured a golf tournament, panel discussions and awards, like Georgia Logger of the Year.
The conference came about two months after Kemp visited the association headquarters to sign legislation designed to aid timber producers ravaged by Hurricane Helene.
Sen. Blake Tillery of Vidalia — another Republican candidate for lieutenant governor — attended the forestry conference. He said he ate a meal, spoke at the conference and left without spending the night.
“I didn’t even have an alcoholic beverage,” he said.
Tillery did spend one night at the Georgia Utility Contractors Association meeting in Destin, Florida, in June, with the group paying the $627 cost. Tillery is a pilot and said he flew down on his own to accept an award from the group.
“I’ve got a family and a lot of other things to do across the state,” Tillery said. “So, while I’m really grateful for the award, I’m a family man.”
Such trips weren’t confined to Georgia. The AJC found lobbyists from a variety of groups who paid for legislators to attend five other events in Florida over the summer. Other locations included Hilton Head, Seattle and Boston.
The Boston event was the annual meeting of the Georgia Bankers Association. The association spent nearly $11,000 on travel for four legislators to attend at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport, which boasts a year-round heated rooftop pool and “unrivaled city and harbor views.”
“We have to be there to comingle with the bankers in general, so we know how to structure things to keep Georgia as strong as we have Georgia right now,” said Summers, the Senate banking chairman, who attended the event.
Summers said that without lobbyists paying for the trip, the time and cost required would have prevented him from going.
“It takes time out of my workday,” said Summers, who owns a real estate company. “I have to go home and make a living.”
State Sen. John F. Kennedy, R-Macon, who is also running for lieutenant governor, attended the bankers association meeting and other events this summer.
A spokesperson for Kennedy said the senator attended the Boston event to learn how Georgia bankers “are addressing the needs of their communities and how the state can continue being a good partner in growing our local economies.”
The association’s executive vice president, David Oliver, said the meeting provides educational programming for members and legislators.
He said there was nothing special about Boston.
“It was a destination that our members thought would be a good venue to host us and a place they were interested in visiting,” Oliver said.
The visit to Boston included a tour of the Massachusetts State House, and at least one lawmaker went with convention attendees to Fenway Park for a Red Sox game.
Palacios, of Common Cause Georgia, said transparency about such trips is important. But she said lobbyist spending on travel for lawmakers can undermine public confidence in government.
“People lose faith when they hear stories like this,” she said. “What we’re seeing this summer is not helpful.”
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