PG A.M.: Book details rapper T.I.’s offer to Fani Willis’ election campaign
Months into Fani Willis’ campaign to be Fulton County’s top prosecutor, she was summoned to a meeting with hip-hop star T.I.
He was infuriated that Willis had been endorsed by a local police union and Mary Norwood, one of the most conservative members of Atlanta’s City Council.
So he offered to cut her a deal: renounce their endorsements, give back their money and he would endorse her — and bring a number of other well-financed rappers with him.
Willis’ response? No, she said flatly. “I represent all segments of the community.”
That’s one of the nuggets in “Find Me The Votes,” the book released today by investigative journalists Michael Isikoff and Daniel Klaidman on former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
A few other tidbits from the tome:
- When then-U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson went to the Oval Office in Dec. 2019 with a group of relatives and aides for a sendoff from Trump, the president ranted about Gov. Brian Kemp and declared himself “the most popular Republican in Georgia.” Isakson interjected. “Actually, I’m the most popular Republican in Georgia.”
- After Willis announced the indictment against Trump last August, she made a beeline to a back office where she had a pre-positioned change of clothes. In less than two minutes, she put on sweats, a T-shirt and a baseball cap. An investigator on Willis’ staff changed into the same attire Willis was wearing. She went out one exit, the body double took another — an extraordinary example of the safety measures Willis took when faced with death threats.
- Nathan Wade wasn’t Willis’ first choice to handle the complex prosecution against Trump. She first approached former Gov. Roy Barnes to serve as the senior counsel on the case, and then tried Gabe Banks, a former federal prosecutor and respected defense attorney. After both turned her down, she turned to Wade, who is now at the center of a prosecutorial misconduct motion.
You can catch the authors on today’s episode of the “Politically Georgia” radio show.
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PLACE YOUR BETS. If lawmakers adopt a state Senate push to legalize sports gambling, you can bet there will be a legal challenge. That was underscored by a legal opinion released this week by the casino industry group All in Georgia.
The memo was penned by Joseph Young, the Harvard-trained attorney who was once a top lawyer for Gov. Roy Barnes. He argued that legislators don’t have the authority to define how a “lottery” operates without a constitutional amendment.
Why does that matter? Because Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Senate leaders back a measure that calls for sports betting to be overseen by the Georgia Lottery Corporation — an approach that wouldn’t require a constitutional amendment.
But some wagering advocates say legalized gambling must be enshrined in the state Constitution, which would require a two-thirds vote in the Legislature and majority approval by voters in a statewide referendum. We’ve seen other legal opinions over the years that argue the contrary.
Look for a hearing on the enabling legislation, SB 386, in the Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee, bright and early today at 8 a.m.
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UNDER THE GOLD DOME, Legislative Day 12:
- 8:00 a.m.: Committee meetings begin.
- 10 a.m.: The House gavels in.
- 10 a.m.: The Senate convenes.
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OUT OF THE HOPPER. The action in the state House and Senate picked up Monday as a string of high-profile bills saw action.
- The House passed HB 881 to remove third-party approval for the rules to govern the newly created Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission. The General Assembly created the commission last year to add state-level oversight of what Republicans called “rogue DAs.”
- The Senate Judiciary Committee considered SB 392, a bill to criminalize “deep fakes” or AI-generated audio, video and images, to influence the outcome of an election. The committee recessed without a vote on the bill.
- Gov. Brian Kemp announced he’ll sign HB 30, the bill adding antisemitism to the state’s hate crime statute, on Wednesday.
- The House Rules Committee considered HB 813, a bill to further codify the process of creating new cities in the state of Georgia. After several widely varying efforts to create new cities around the state, state Rep. Victor Anderson, R-Cornelia, said it’s time to get the process more organized.
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FOOD FIGHT. In a commentary published Tuesday on AJC.com, state Rep. Tanya F. Miller rebuked Gov. Brian Kemp for not enrolling Georgia in a federal summer food service program for schoolchildren.
The Atlanta Democrat cited statistics from the left-leaning Georgia Budget and Policy Institute that found Kemp’s decision leaves 1.165 million Georgia kids more vulnerable to hunger over summer school breaks.
Kemp has resisted accepting the federal dollars because Georgia operates its own summer lunch program, known as Happy Helpings.
Writes Miller:
“When it comes to the future of our students, Gov. Kemp advocates an “all of the above approach" when supporting his own agenda to implement school vouchers, but, inexplicably, not when it comes to feeding hungry children."
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HONORING THE FALLEN. We learned Monday that all three of the U.S. Army Reservists killed in a drone attack in Jordan on Sunday were based at Fort Moore in Georgia. The Pentagon identified them as Spc. Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah; Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton; and Spc. Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross.
The news led to an outpouring of sympathy from elected officials across the state. Gov. Brian Kemp expressed condolences on behalf of his wife and daughters.
“Marty, the girls, and I are saddened to learn of the deaths of three service members based out of Georgia,” the governor said in a statement. “These soldiers gave the last full measure of devotion in service to this country.”
Virtually every member of Georgia’s congressional delegation also released statements honoring the three reservists.
Some Republicans, in offering their condolences, also said President Joe Biden carried some blame for allowing U.S. soldiers to die on his watch. Biden has pledged to “hold those responsible to account” for the attack.
“I am infuriated that it had to come to this,” U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, a former Marine and Suwanee Republican, said in a statement. “The Biden Administration has not shown the strength needed from the beginning. … I have always said, weakness equals war. And now they have blood on their hands.”
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MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT. A congressional committee is scheduled to vote today on whether to move articles of impeachment for U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to the House floor.
Impeaching Mayorkas has been a priority of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome. She said Monday she is excited to begin the process that could lead to Mayorkas’ removal from office.
Recently, she has cited the deaths of two constituents as fuel for her crusade. The couple was hit by a car driven by a suspected migrant smuggler who was fleeing sheriff’s deputies at the time, according to news reports. While Greene has said the accident is proof of loose border policies, the family of the deceased couple questioned why officers initiated a high-speed chase.
Although the impeachment articles could pass in the House, where Republicans have a slim majority, it is highly unlikely the Democrat-led Senate will vote to oust Mayorkas.
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LISTEN UP. U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin joined the “Politically Georgia” radio show Monday to follow up on his town hall event with the AJC last Friday. Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, discussed the possibility that he could run as a third-party candidate against his former fellow senator, President Joe Biden. Manchin also spoke on what that bid could mean to the race for president.
Listen at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. And listen to Tuesday’s show live at 10 a.m. on WABE 90.1 FM, at AJC.com and at WABE.org.
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BIG CHECK IN SAVANNAH. Cabinet Secretary Marcia Fudge personally handed out every bank teller’s worst nightmare — one of those ceremonial oversized checks — to Savannah officials on Monday as part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual homelessness grant awards.
Savannah received $4 million of the $3.16 billion in homelessness assistance doled out nationwide through the Continuum of Care Act. Following a news conference at Savannah City Hall, Fudge attended a stakeholders’ roundtable and toured the city’s government-supported low-income housing neighborhoods.
Asked about the coming presidential election, Fudge said President Joe Biden and his administration have devoted more resources into housing and homelessness “than has ever been done before.”
Added Fudge: “I’m very passionate about it and they are very passionate about it.”
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden attends campaign fundraisers in Jupiter and Miami, Florida.
- The U.S. House votes on whether to create a new federal law that imposes penalties for those who flee from law enforcement during a high-speed chase. Lawmakers also consider immigration legislation.
- The House Homeland Security Committee considers articles of impeachment against Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
- The Senate has judicial confirmation votes lined up.
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TOP EARNERS. The top-paid state employee is one most every Georgian knows: University of Georgia football coach Kirby Smart. The other highest-paid state employees are much less high profile.
Our AJC colleague James Salzer is out with his annual review of the state employee salaries and notes that Smart ($13.25 million) and a dozen others top the $1 million mark. The other top earners include the Georgia Ports Authority’s Griff Lynch ($1.715 million), who has led an impressive growth spurt at terminals in Savannah and Brunswick; Charles Cary ($1.159 million), longtime chief investment officer at the Teachers Retirement System; Georgia Tech President Angel Cabrera ($1.225 million) and Dr. Richard Lee ($1.205 million), a cardiovascular surgeon, section chief and professor at Augusta University.
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DOG OF THE DAY. Let’s meet Buzzy Hodges, the extremely handsome field spaniel of AJC subscriber Ken Hodges.
A reliable source tells us that Buzzy and Ken are both avid “Politically Georgia” radio show listeners and that this photo captures Buzzy in the car doing just that. Buzzy, for being a loyal companion and listener, you’re our Dog of the Day!
Send us your dogs of any political persuasion and location, and cats on a cat-by-cat basis, to patricia.murphy@ajc.com, or DM us at @MurphyAJC.
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AS ALWAYS, Politically Georgia readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com, and adam.vanbrimmer@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.
Adam Van Brimmer is a journalist who covers politics and Coastal Georgia news for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
