House Democrats’ hearing on Jan. 6 anniversary will feature Geoff Duncan
Today’s newsletter highlights:
- House Ethics Committee reviewing allegations against Mike Collins.
- Republicans criticize Jon Ossoff for silence over Venezuela strike.
- Seth Clark is preparing a run for lieutenant governor.
Reviewing the record
On the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, Democrats are pushing back against what they call Republican efforts to rewrite the history of the riot.
Former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, now a Democratic contender for governor, will be a key witness at a U.S. House hearing that Democrats say will counter the president’s attempts to sanitize the mob.
“It was a series of organized and unlawful acts to usurp democracy, to upend democracy,” Duncan said Monday. “And as lieutenant governor, when I was here in Georgia, representing the state as lieutenant governor, I stood up to him.”
Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Charlie Bailey also tried to turn up the heat.
“Donald Trump, five years later, is still saying the election was stolen. He’s still saying it was a peaceful protest, pardoning all of them for violence against our very Republic,” Bailey told us.
He slammed several GOP contenders for backing Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud in 2020, and questioned why few have criticized Trump for amplifying a post calling for the arrests of Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
“These should be easy answers,” Bailey said in an interview. “The idea that I’m even talking about this is an insult to the people of Georgia.”
We’ll be watching to see how Republicans mark the anniversary. But after checking in with several GOP campaigns, we don’t expect much public acknowledgment.
U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, who is leading a House subcommittee tasked with investigating the initial Democratic-led investigation of Jan. 6, issued a statement Monday challenging some of the narratives that are likely to be highlighted during today’s fifth-anniversary hearing.
“True accountability requires focusing on facts, not selective storytelling for partisan gain,” said Loudermilk, a Republican from Cassville. “My Select Subcommittee remains committed to transparency and accountability and ensuring the security failures that occurred on January 6 and the partisan investigation that followed never happen again.”
Things to know
Good morning! Voters in Cherokee County will decide a runoff election for House District 23 today between Republican Bill Fincher and Democrat Scott Sanders. The winner will replace Mandi Ballinger, who died in October following a battle with cancer.
Here are three other things to know for today:
- The two U.S. Justice Department attorneys suing to get Fulton County’s 2020 election records and the state’s unredacted voter rolls have a history of representing Republican activists in Georgia election disputes, the AJC’s Caleb Groves reports.
- The state Senate could be especially political this year as eight senators and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones are all running for higher office, the AJC’s Maya T. Prabhu reports.
- Federal prosecutors charged former Democratic state Rep. Karen Bennett with fraudulently obtaining pandemic-era unemployment benefits. That makes her the second Georgia legislator to be charged with fraud tied to the COVID-19 relief programs, the AJC’s Michelle Baruchman and Greg Bluestein report.
Ethics review
Just how politically damaging is the revelation that the U.S. House Ethics Committee is reviewing allegations that the top aide to Georgia U.S. Rep. Mike Collins hired his girlfriend for a no-show job?
Collins, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, said the claims outlined in an Office of Congressional Conduct report against him and Brandon Phillips are baseless allegations from “disgruntled” ex-employees and will quickly be disproven.
But history shows these reviews often take months or years. And U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., won’t hesitate to seize on the issue. After all, he won office in 2020 partly by hammering corruption allegations against then-U.S. Sen. David Perdue.
Collins’ GOP rivals for Senate say the inquiry could be politically fatal.
“These are serious allegations, and Collins has some explaining to do to the people of Georgia,” said Harley Adsit, a spokeswoman for U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter. “One thing is now clear: Collins as the Republican nominee would be a gift to Jon Ossoff, one Georgians can’t afford to give.”
A pro-Derek Dooley group — Hardworking Americans Inc. — put it more bluntly: “We can’t lose another winnable election by nominating a guy with more baggage than Hartsfield.”
Speaking up
While many Democrats were critical of President Donald Trump’s decision to authorize an attack in Venezuela that led to the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro, Georgia U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff held off on weighing in.
That drew the attention of Republicans, who criticized Ossoff’s silence and attempted to connect Maduro to the murder of college student Laken Riley. Her killer, Jose Ibarra, is a Venezuelan national who entered the U.S. illegally. A spokesman for National Republican Senatorial Committee said Riley might still be alive if President Joe Biden had brought Maduro to justice.
“By refusing to welcome Maduro’s arrest, Ossoff is once again putting his hatred for President Trump and the radical left’s agenda above standing with Georgia victims of his failed policies,” NRSC regional press secretary Nick Puglia said in a news release.
Ossoff, in an interview with the AJC on Monday, said he was waiting for answers from the White House regarding the long-term plan in Venezuela and justification for the overnight raid.
“We need to understand what the president meant when he said ‘boots on the ground,’” Ossoff said. “We need to understand what the president meant when he said the United States would run Venezuela. Congress needs that information immediately.”
Collins’ new chief
As the House Ethics Committee continues its review into U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and his former chief of staff, Brandon Phillips, Collins has hired longtime Capitol Hill staffer Kip Talley to be his new top aide.
Among Talley’s previous employers is former U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, the Florida Republican who himself was the subject of a House Ethics Committee investigation until he resigned from Congress in 2024.
Talley worked for Gaetz from 2017 to 2019, the same years that the House Committee on Ethics alleged Gaetz engaged in a series of unethical and illegal acts, including hiring prostitutes, possessing and using cocaine, and using staff to secure an expedited passport through the State Department for a woman he said was a constituent, but was really a romantic partner.
Gaetz denied the allegations against him. His resignation from the House ended the investigation into his conduct. The Department of Justice dropped a separate sex trafficking investigation into Gaetz in 2023 for a lack of evidence.
He’s running?
A suddenly clean-shaven Seth Clark is preparing to announce a bid for lieutenant governor. And the haircut and smooth chin aren’t the only clues.
The Democrat said last night he’s stepping down from the Macon-Bibb County Commission after about five years in office.
“Our story is worth telling, and the lessons we’ve learned are worth sharing. And in the coming days, I’ll be announcing my intention to do just that,” he said.
“But before that, I want to say thank you, Macon. You’ve shown me, my family, and our state that we govern best when we look after one another. I’ll never forget it.”
Clark has hinted for weeks that he’ll run for Georgia’s No. 2 job and is expected to soon make it official. He’s set to join state Sen. Josh McLaurin as his party’s top contenders to succeed Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.
Listen up
Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast we look at former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s final day in Congress, what her resignation says about fractures within the MAGA movement and what’s next for the Rome Republican. Then, we examine Georgia leaders’ reaction to the dramatic U.S. military operation in Venezuela.
You can listen and subscribe to Politically Georgia for free an Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Have a question or comment for the show? Email us at politicallygeorgia@ajc.com or give us a call at 770-810-5297 and you could be featured on a future episode.
Second term
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens was sworn in for his second term on Monday in front of a crowd of thousands at Georgia State University. Dickens had only tacit opposition for his reelection bid and won with more than 85% of the vote.
In his speech, Dickens described the dire circumstances the city was facing when he came into office in 2021. Although he did not mention her name, Dickens followed former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms after she decided not to seek reelection after a single term in office. Bottoms is now running for governor.
“Four years ago, Atlanta faced a test unlike any that we had seen before. The questions were heavy,” Dickens said. “How would we recover from a global pandemic? Could we keep our city whole? How would we remove violence from our streets? Could we ensure an affordable place to call home for every Atlantan? How would we care for those struggling to make ends meet?”
Dickens then listed the successes the city has had since then, including marking a dramatic drop in the murder rate, a new AAA bond rating for the city’s debt, and the swift defeat of the Buckhead City breakaway effort that took root during Bottoms’ term.
Dickens spoke with multiple VIPs in attendance, including U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga.; U.S. Reps Lucy McBath, D-Marietta; and Nikema Williams, D-Atlanta. Also on hand: former mayors Andrew Young, Shirley Franklin and Kasim Reed. Bottoms was invited but did not attend.
Today in Washington
- President Donald Trump will speak at the U.S. House Republicans’ retreat.
- The House has an evening roll call vote scheduled to establish a quorum for the year.
- The Senate will consider more of Trump’s nominations.
Shoutouts
Today’s birthdays:
- State Sen. Lee Anderson, R-Grovetown.
- State Rep. David Wilkerson, D-Powder Springs.
Noteworthy
- Gov. Brian Kemp tapped state Sens. Drew Echols, R-Gainesville, and Bo Hatchett, R-Cornelia, has his floor leaders for the 2026 session that starts Monday. In the House, he selected state Reps. Soo Hong, R-Lawrenceville, Will Wade, R-Dawsonville, Matthew Gambill, R-Cartersville, and Devan Seabaugh, R-Marietta.
Want a birthday shoutout in the Politically Georgia newsletter? There’s a form for that. Click here to submit the shoutouts. It’s not just birthdays. We’re also interested in new jobs, engagements, birth announcements, etc.
Before you go
Tia Mitchell reviews five defining moments from former U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s career in Congress, which came to an end on Monday.
That’ll do it for us today. As always, you can send your best scoops, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.beam@ajc.com.
About the Authors
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.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC's senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
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