Court ruling could give Democrats a leg up in ad spending

Today’s newsletter highlights:

• Former state Sen. Colton Moore is back in court.
• Patty Durand may return to the Capitol, with state police authorized to shadow her.
• A federal appeals court handed Ossoff and other Democrats a victory Tuesday.

Cha-ching

The U.S. Supreme Court is seen in June. (Mariam Zuhaib/AP)

A federal appeals court handed U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and other Democrats a victory Tuesday, ruling that political parties are not entitled to the cheaper television advertising rates reserved for candidates.

Ossoff was one of four Democratic candidates in battleground states who sued to block party committees from claiming those discounted rates.

The decision matters because Democratic candidates tend to raise more money than their party committees, while GOP committees are comparatively flush with cash.

The ruling comes less than two months after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on how much parties can spend in coordination with candidates.

Under Tuesday’s ruling, parties can still spend unlimited sums in coordination with candidates, but they must pay the same higher rates as other outside groups.

Ossoff has banked more than $42 million to defeat Republican nominee Mike Collins in Georgia, where Democrats are hoping this ruling gives them an extra financial edge.

Republicans say they plan to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Things to know

U.S. Rep. Mike Collins speaks with reporters in Norcross on Tuesday. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Good morning! Here are three things to know for today:

• Collins should get his son-in-law to remove his white nationalist social media posts, politics columnist Patricia Murphy writes.
• Gov. Brian Kemp has become the data center industry’s biggest champion in Georgia, Greg Bluestein reports.
• A federal appeals court has ordered a lower court to reconsider a 2021 ruling that forced Georgia lawmakers to redraw political boundaries, Tamar Hallerman reports.

Back in court

Randall Keith Williams is seen scuffling with then state Sen. Colton Moore at the state Capitol in January 2025. (Jason Getz/AJC)

You might remember former state Sen. Colton Moore getting arrested at the state Capitol last year after he defied House Speaker Jon Burns, who had banned him from setting foot in the chamber.

The most indelible image from that confrontation was captured by the AJC’s Jason Getz, showing Burns aide Randall Keith Williams throwing Moore to the ground. Moore has been trying to press charges against Williams ever since. Today, the convoluted case will be heard at the Georgia Court of Appeals.

A magistrate denied Moore’s request. Then a Fulton County judge ordered the magistrate to reconsider. Williams says the judge can’t do that because Moore did not transmit a complete record of the magistrate court proceedings.

The Fulton County judge acknowledged the record was incomplete, but ruled it wasn’t anyone’s fault. Williams argues it was Moore’s fault, and he should lose because of it.

She’s back

The Georgia Capitol dome is shown through the offices of the Georgia Technology Authority in May. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Patty Durand can return to the Georgia Capitol. But the Georgia Capitol Police can follow her wherever she goes.

The climate activist and former Democratic Public Service Commission candidate was arrested last year and accused of taking a booklet of Georgia Power’s trade secrets during a break in a hearing.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis declined to prosecute her. But a condition of her bail was she had to stay away from the PSC offices, which are on Washington Street near the Capitol in downtown Atlanta.

But when she tried to enter the Capitol in January to meet with a state senator, security said she could not stay without a police escort.

Durand sued a Georgia Capitol Police lieutenant, who told her via text that she was banned from all buildings at the Capitol. She alleged he and other Capitol Police were depriving her of her constitutional rights of free speech and petitioning the government.

In his order, U.S. District Judge Steven Grimberg said that Durand could return to all buildings at the Capitol, including those that house the PSC. He also explicitly prohibited the police from enforcing the criminal trespass ban there. But he ruled police could escort her on the property.

Ethics pressure

Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (left) and Republican U.S. Senate nominee Mike Collins. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

“This is not going away.”

That was Ossoff’s message as he pressed Collins to “commit to testifying” before a House Ethics Committee investigating allegations Collins’ office misused taxpayer money.

“He must explain to the public and the press why he has refused to cooperate, why he has obstructed, and why he has stonewalled this investigation to date,” Ossoff said.

Collins has dismissed the allegations as a “nothing burger” and bristled at Ossoff’s attack during a campaign stop Tuesday.

“We have been fully cooperating with the Ethics Committee, and we look forward to being cleared of everything soon,” he said.

Listen up

Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson. (Courtesy)

Today on the “Politically Georgia” podcast Greg Bluestein talks with Valdosta Mayor Scott James Matheson, a self-described conservative Republican who is backing Ossoff for reelection.

You can listen and subscribe to “Politically Georgia” for free on Apple Podcasts, YouTube 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.

Today in Washington

• President Donald Trump has no public events on his schedule.
• The House returns on Monday.
• The Senate is out until September.

Nine weeks

Friends, campaign staff and supporters scream with surprise and delight as former Gwinnett County School Board Chair Everton Blair Jr. (right) celebrates winning the special election runoff for Georgia's 13th Congressional District on Tuesday. (Olivia Bowdoin for the AJC)

Everton “EJ” Blair Jr. won the special election to complete the term of the late U.S. Rep. David Scott, joining the long list of Georgia candidates who finished second in the first round of balloting only to win in the runoff.

Blair won on Tuesday by boosting turnout in his home of Gwinnett County and ensuring that his opponent — Marcye Scott, David Scott’s daughter — did not run up the numbers in the south Metro Atlanta counties where many elected officials had backed her campaign as a continuation of her father’s legacy.

Blair watched the election results come in on Tuesday night at his home in Lilburn. The small gathering turned into a celebration as it became clear he was the winner and supporters began showing up.

He is likely to be sworn in on Tuesday, the U.S. House’s first full working day after the summer recess. But House Speaker Mike Johnson hasn’t announced anything yet.

Counting next week, Blair will have nine weeks total in office. That isn’t a lot of time, but he said he is ready to make an impact as Republicans face a slim two-vote margin and tackle issues like government funding, the war in Iran and the farm bill.

“If they swear me in as soon as they can, I’ll get to work as soon as I can,” he said.