Georgia

Herschel Walker’s Campaign Is Over. A Georgia Residency Investigation Isn’t.

Published

11 months ago

June 8, 2023

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It’s been more than six months since one-time Republican Senate hopeful Herschel Walker conceded defeat. But it’s been even longer since the office of the Georgia secretary of state opened its investigation into questions surrounding the college football legend’s residency. And while the race is over, that investigation is not.

In emails to The Daily Beast, the office confirmed that the residency investigation, which opened on Nov. 28, 2022, is still open. The agency provided a case sheet confirming the probe, titled “Fulton county residency issue with candidate.” Two people familiar with the investigation confirmed to The Daily Beast that the office had been actively working on the case in recent months, including contacting family members.

It’s unclear why the investigation has dragged on. Residency issues are usually resolved quickly—one way or the other. For instance, the state of Georgia previously opened a voter residency investigation into Walker’s wife, Julie Blanchard, on Aug. 19, 2021. The office closed the investigation a month later, finding she hadn’t committed any violations.

Anthony Michael Kreis, who specializes in election law at the Georgia State University College of Law, told The Daily Beast he was “surprised” to learn that the probe was still open.

“I was always skeptical of the idea that Herschel did anything unlawful in terms of the residency issue,” Kreis said. “Residency questions are typically really easy ones, and while this was politically sketchy, I always thought it was a non-issue as a legal matter, so I’m surprised that it would take this long to close the investigation.”

Questions about Walker’s residency shadowed his campaign from the start. But those questions re-emerged in late November, a few weeks after he forced a runoff election against incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA). That’s when CNN reported that the former NFL star took a homestead tax exemption in both 2021 and 2022 for his home in Texas—a break only available for a “principal residence,” according to the state comptroller. The exemption saved him about $1,500 last year, according to CNN.

Walker—a former Dallas Cowboy who lived in the Dallas area for decades before announcing his Georgia candidacy in August 2021—had claimed the Texas exemption on the home since 2012. But all the while, he maintained one of the most recognized names in Georgia, as a University of Georgia football star in the early 1980s—even though he left school early in favor of a professional career in the U.S. Football League.

The CNN report raised legal questions in both states—tax laws in Texas, and candidate and voter residency rules in Georgia, where Walker registered to vote weeks ahead of launching his campaign. However, Kreis said, Georgia’s candidate residency requirements are fairly flexible, with a homestead claim being only one of a number of data points that officials consider.

“The key factor is whether the person moved to their primary residence with the intention to stay,” Kreis told The Daily Beast.

Walker and Blanchard had lived together in Texas for years, but during the race they resided in an Atlanta-area house Blanchard had owned for decades, which also doubled as the campaign’s first official address. However, The Daily Beast reported that, previously, the couple may not have personally stayed in that house at all, with Blanchard collecting between $15,000 and $50,000 in rental income on the home between 2020 and 2021, listing the asset as “Georgia residence.”

While Kreis expressed surprise at the lengthy probe, he also offered an anodyne possibility.

“Perhaps, and I think most likely, it’s because the secretary of state’s office in particular, and Fulton County more generally, have been inundated with work related to the 2020 election,” Kreis said.

“That can cut both ways, though,” he continued. “Why wouldn’t you just close it out and just get it off your desk?”

When told that investigators had not merely tabled the case, but had been actively working it this year, Kreis replied, “That’s almost inexplicable to me.”

He theorized that “other legal questions might arise from the complaint,” but said he didn’t know why the secretary of state would keep the file open “unless they’re digging more, waiting on information, or possibly sharing information with another agency.” Kreis noted that the Walker campaign had its share of problems, and observed that campaign finance issues—revealed in recent Daily Beast reports—could have triggered federal involvement.

According to the investigation case sheet, the inquiry stemmed from a complaint, though the complainant’s name was redacted. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Nov. 28—the day the probe opened—that a woman named Ann Gregory Roberts filed a complaint with the state attorney general and Georgia Bureau of Investigations.)

“The only other thing I can think of is that the secretary of state investigators pulled on one string and maybe unraveled something else, and given how sloppy his campaign was I wouldn’t be shocked that in the process of a routine investigation they found something else or were asked to find something else, or are possibly cooperating with the Department of Justice—that would be the more nefarious speculative angle on it,” he said.

But The Daily Beast also reported that, at the same time Blanchard was taking rental income from the Atlanta property, a company she owned also received about $50,000 in federal COVID relief loans—at Walker’s Texas address. One of Walker’s financial disclosure statements claimed that his wife’s company had also generated rental income for her, suggesting the company had a stake in the Atlanta property.

The Daily Beast reached out to Walker and a campaign representative for comment, but did not receive a reply.

When Fox News asked Walker about the residency issues just ahead of the runoff, Walker shrugged it off as a “desperate” attack planted by his opponent.

“Anyone in Georgia know [sic] that I’m Georgia born, Georgia bred, and when I die, I’ll be Georgia dead,” Walker said. “Everyone knows that.”

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Georgia

Why Georgia’s ruling party is pushing for the foreign agent law—and how the West should respond

Published

7 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Press Room

Why Georgia’s ruling party is pushing for the foreign agent law—and how the West should respond

On May 14, the Georgian parliament passed a controversial “foreign agent” law during its third and final hearing. The legislation would require organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from other countries to register as “organizations serving the interests of a foreign power.” The bill has prompted fierce backlash from critics who argue that it is intended to crack down on opposition to the ruling party and align Georgia closer to Russia and away from the West. President Salome Zurabishvili plans on vetoing the bill, but the parliament can override her veto. Large, ongoing protests in Tbilisi have revealed how unpopular this foreign agent legislation is. So, why is the ruling Georgian Dream party still pushing it forward? And how should the West respond if the bill passes into law?

Electoral advantage

Georgian Dream stands to benefit from the adoption of the foreign agent law ahead of parliamentary elections in October. Civil society in Georgia has historically exerted a significant influence on the country’s politics. For example, it played a pivotal role in the 2012 elections by contributing to voter education and election monitoring.

However, the main vulnerability that Georgian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations face is financial reliance on international donors. Civil society organizations in Georgia receive more than 90 percent of funding from foreign sources, according to a 2020 report. Targeting their funding streams right before the elections seems to be a logical step for a ruling party that intends to eliminate influential and potentially opposing voices before the elections.

But many argue that Georgian Dream could win the October parliamentary elections without this legislation. After all, the ruling party is ahead in the polls and there have been reports that Georgian Dream has been leveraging administrative power to influence the elections. Extreme divisions have made it almost impossible for the Georgian opposition parties to form a coalition that could counter Georgian Dream. If anything, by introducing the foreign agent bill, Georgian Dream has united the opposition as well as the broader population in defense of Georgia’s European future.

Why, then, did Georgian Dream decide to move forward with this unpopular bill, knowing all too well it would trigger protests and antigovernment narratives just a few months before the elections?

Ivanishvili’s influence

Bidzina Ivanishvili, the richest man in Georgia and the founder and honorary chairman of Georgian Dream, could be key to understanding why the party took this self-destructive step. He exerts exceptional influence on the government’s decisions and actions.

Ivanishvili delivered a speech on April 29, during which he defined NGOs as agents nurtured by a global force that, in his telling, is responsible for getting Georgia and Ukraine into wars with Russia. He believes that the introduction of the foreign agent law ahead of the elections was necessary because NGOs were trying to change electoral laws, acting in the interest of the “global party of war,” which, he believes, intends to engineer a revolution in Georgia.

The combination of Ivanishvili’s views and a ruling party that executes his every decision with no questions asked is putting the Georgian people’s safety and future at risk. A sensible and nuanced Western response is needed to support the Georgian people.

The regional trend

The adoption of the Russian-style foreign agent law seems to be a regional trend, not just a Georgian phenomenon. Hungary, Kyrgyzstan, and Georgia all started actively pushing for foreign agent laws in 2023. Hungary implemented foreign agent legislation in December 2023, and Kyrgyzstan adopted its own in April 2024.

Three states in Eastern Europe and Eurasia pushing to adopt Russian-style foreign agent laws almost at the same time might not be a coincidence. It is possible Russia is inspiring or even pressuring the ruling parties. After all, Moscow’s influence in these countries would likely increase if the NGOs and civil society organizations in these countries were to lose funding from international donors.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has defended Georgian Dream’s reintroduction of the foreign agent law and stated that it is in Moscow’s interests that the situation in Georgia is “stable and predictable.” Russian President Vladimir Putin has also reaffirmed ties with Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and claimed that Russian-Kyrgyz relations are developing in all directions.

The European Union (EU) has already launched legal action against Hungary in response to the introduction of this law. But Georgia and Kyrgyzstan are not EU member states, and so the same legal route is not available.

What the West should and should not do

It is crucial for the international community—especially the EU, the United States, and the United Kingdom—to support the will of the Georgian people. This means aiding Georgia’s pro-European president in her challenge to the ruling party’s actions. It also means seeking accountability for the ruling class that defies the will of its people and is impeding Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration, a goal that is written into Georgia’s constitution.

The EU should reconsider measures that could harm the Georgian population, such as the potential suspension of current visa-free travel. It would not help the situation to punish the wider Georgian population for the ruling party’s actions.

The international community and donors must continue their support for civil society organizations in Georgia, especially in the lead-up to the October elections. Despite the legal ramifications of the new bill and the anticipated crackdown on the civil society sector, sustaining funding streams is crucial for bolstering civil society’s monitoring capacity. This is vital for ensuring transparent and fair electoral processes in October and providing Georgia with an opportunity for another peaceful transition of power.

The many EU and Georgian flags carried through the streets of Tbilisi in recent weeks make clear where most Georgians’ view their future. The West must do what it can to help keep them headed in that direction.

Maia Nikoladze is the assistant director at the Economic Statecraft Initiative within the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center. Follow her at @Mai_Nikoladze.

Ana Lejava is a policy associate at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and a former Young Ambassador of Georgia to the United States. Follow her at @AnaLejava.

Fighting for the hearts and minds of Sakartvelo: The Georgian information environment during the 2020 parliamentary election

Report
By
Eto Buziashvili, Givi Gigitashvili, Sopo Gelava, Graham Brookie, Andy Carvin, Iain Robertson, Zarine Kharazian

A technical analysis of how various online actors, both foreign and domestic, attempted to manipulate public opinion and influence the recent Georgian parliamentary election results.

Image: Demonstrators hold a rally to protest against a bill on “foreign agents”, near Georgian Parliament building, in Tbilisi, Georgia, May 13, 2024. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze

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Georgia

Georgia softball live score updates in first round NCAA Regional vs. UNCW

Published

14 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Press Room

Georgia softball live score updates in first round NCAA Regional vs. UNCW

Georgia softball will begin its run in the 2024 NCAA Tournament as the No. 11 seed against UNCW on Friday in the Athens Regional.

The game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ following the first game of the day between Liberty and Charlotte at Jack Turner Stadium. This is a double elimination tournament, with the winner advancing to the Super Regionals against the winner of the Los Angeles Regional, which houses national No. 6 seed UCLA, Grand Canyon, San Diego State and Virginia Tech.

This is the second time Georgia has hosted back-to-back regionals, dating back to the triple host gig they had between 2014-2016. It is the 23rd straight NCAA Tournament made by Georgia, not including the canceled 2020 season. Georgia had advanced to last year’s super-regional rounds. The Bulldogs have advanced to the Women’s College World Series five times, last in 2021, never bringing home the title.

The Bulldogs (39-16) lost to 2-seeded Florida in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

‘Ubuntu’: Why Georgia softball has adopted this African philosophy as 2024 team motto

Portal: Georgia softball has become a landing point for curious ACC transfers like these four

What channel is Georgia vs. UNCW?

TV channel: ESPN+

Livestream: WatchESPN

Georgia softball start time vs. UNCW

Date: Friday, May 17

Time: 5:30 p.m. ET

Location: Jack Turner Stadium; Athens, Ga.

Georgia softball live score updates vs. UNCW

Georgia softball 2024 schedule

Date & Time	Opponent	Location	Results
Feb. 9 (Red & Black Showcase) @ 3:30 p.m.	Murray State	Athens	W, 11-0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 9 (Red & Black Showcase) @ 6 p.m.	South Dakota	Athens	W, 4-0
Feb. 10 (Red & Black Showcase) @ 1 p.m.	Murray State	Athens	W, 2-0
Feb. 10 (Red & Black Showcase) @ 3:30 p.m.	Purdue	Athens	W, 6-1
Feb. 11 (Red & Black Showcase) @ Noon	Purdue	Athens	W, 5-1
Feb. 15 (Shriners Children’s Clearwater Inv.) @ 1 p.m.	Wisconsin	Clearwater, Fla.	W, 7-6 (10 inn.)
Feb. 16 (Shriners Children’s Clearwater Inv.) @ 1 p.m.	Oklahoma State	Clearwater, Fla.	W, 7-4
Feb. 16 (Shriners Children’s Clearwater Inv.) @ 1 p.m.	UCLA	Clearwater, Fla.	W, 7-2
Feb. 17 (Shriners Children’s Clearwater Inv.) @ 1 p.m.	Florida State	Clearwater, Fla.	W, 20-10 (5 inn.)
Feb. 17 (Shriners Children’s Clearwater Inv.) @ N/A	Minnesota	Clearwater, Fla.	Canceled
Feb. 23 (Georgia Classic) @ 5:30 p.m.	Virginia Tech	Athens	L, 4-5
Feb. 24 (Georgia Classic) @ 12:30 p.m.	Virginia Tech	Athens	W, 7-5
Feb. 24 (Georgia Classic) @ 3 p.m.	Radford	Athens	W, 10-1 (6 inn.)
Feb. 25 (Georgia Classic) @ 1 p.m.	Dartmouth	Athens	W, 8-1
Feb. 28 @ 5 p.m.	Clemson	Athens	W, 2-1 (8 inn.)
March 1 (DeMarini Inv.) @ 3 p.m.	Cal	Palo Alto, Calif.	W, 4-2
March 1 (DeMarini Inv.) @ 5:30 p.m.	Boise State	Palo Alto, Calif.	W, 4-1
March 2 (DeMarini Inv.) @ 4:30 p.m.	Cal	Palo Alto, Calif.	L, 2-7
March 2 (DeMarini Inv.) @ 7 p.m.	Stanford	Palo Alto, Calif.	Canceled
March 3 (DeMarini Inv.) @ 3 p.m.	Stanford	Palo Alto, Calif.	L, 1-3 (9 inn.)
March 8 (Bulldog Classic) @ 6 p.m.	Miami (OH)	Athens	W, 13-2 (5 inn.)
March 9 (Bulldog Classic) @ 1 p.m.	Jacksonville State	Athens	W, 9-0 (5 inn.)
March 9 (Bulldog Classic) @ 3:30 p.m.	Miami (OH)	Athens	W, 6-4
March 10 (Bulldog Classic) @ 1 p.m.	Jacksonville State	Athens	W, 8-6
March 10 (Bulldog Classic) @ 3:30 p.m.	Furman	Athens	W, 7-0
March 13 @ 6 p.m.	Georgia Tech	Athens	W, 6-3
March 15 @ 6 p.m.	Alabama	Athens	W, 4-2
March 16 @ Noon	Alabama	Athens	W, 11-3 (5 inn.)
March 17 @ Noon	Alabama	Athens	L, 4-5
March 20 @ 6 p.m.	Georgia Southern	Athens	W, 17-1 (5 inn.)
March 23 @ 2 p.m.	Ole Miss	Oxford, Miss.	W, 7-0
March 23 @ 5 p.m.	Ole Miss	Oxford, Miss.	W, 10-7 (8 inn.)
March 24 @ 2 p.m.	Ole Miss	Oxford, Miss.	W, 4-1
March 27 @ 6:30 p.m.	Kennesaw State	Kennesaw	W, 10-1 (5 inn.)
March 30 @ Noon	Arkansas	Athens	L, 2-3
March 31 @ Noon	Arkansas	Athens	W, 8-2
April 1 @ 7 p.m.	Arkansas	Athens	L, 2-8
April 3 @ 6 p.m.	Mercer	Athens	W, 8-1
April 5 @ 6 p.m.	Tennessee	Knoxville, Tenn.	L, 1-5
April 6 @ Noon	Tennessee	Knoxville, Tenn.	W, 3-2
April 7 @ 11 a.m.	Tennessee	Knoxville, Tenn.	L, 1-3
April 10 @ 6 p.m.	Georgia Southern	Athens	W, 5-0
April 12 @ 6:30 p.m.	Kentucky	Lexington, Ky.	L, 5-7
April 13 @ 2 p.m.	Kentucky	Lexington, Ky.	W, 6-4
April 14 @ 2 p.m.	Kentucky	Lexington, Ky.	L, 2-6
April 17 @ 6 p.m.	USC-Upstate	Athens	W, 8-0
April 19 @ 6 p.m.	Missouri	Athens	L, 2-4
April 20 @ Noon	Missouri	Athens	W, 4-2
April 21 @ Noon	Missouri	Athens	W, 4-2
April 26 @ 6 p.m.	Florida	Athens	L, 1-9 (5 inn.)
April 27 @ 11 a.m.	Florida	Athens	W, 11-6
April 28 @ Noon	Florida	Athens	L, 7-10
May 3 @ 5 p.m.	Mississippi State	Starkville, Miss.	L, 0-2
May 4 @ 1 p.m.	Mississippi State	Starkville, Miss.	W, 5-0
May 5 @ Noon	Mississippi State	Starkville, Miss.	L, 1-2
May 8 (SEC Tournament, round 1) @ 5 p.m.	Auburn	Auburn, Ala.	W, 6-5
May 9 (SEC Tournament, round 2) @ 5 p.m.	Florida	Auburn, Ala.	L, 4-9
May 17 (NCAA Regionals, round 1) @ 5:30 p.m.	UNCW	Athens
May 24-26 (NCAA Super Regionals)	TBA	Campus sites
May 30-June 6 (Women’s College World Series)	TBA	Oklahoma City

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Georgia

Ultimate BBQ States study reveals Georgia's barbecue habits

Published

21 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Press Room

Ultimate BBQ States study reveals Georgia's barbecue habits

IN OTHER NEWS – A new study recently released ahead of National Barbecue Day reveals Georgia’s barbecue habits.

Release:

With National Barbecue Day fast approaching (May 16th), Casino.org conducted an extensive US barbecue culture study. This includes a nationwide survey and a weighted index involving various factors: barbecue habits, flavor preferences, states boasting the best grill skills, biggest spenders, and an analysis of the most passionate BBQ-loving states.

Here’s how Georgia scored:

Despite their intense love for BBQ, Georgia ranks #13 in the top BBQ-loving states ranking, with a score of 54.3/100
The low score is due to residents participating in an average of 2.7 BBQ-like events and dining out at BBQ joints just 6.4 times throughout the year
However, residents fire up their grill 16.8 times on average throughout the year, spending $97.60 per BBQ – that’s $1,639.68 annually
Georgians rate their grill skills a 3.6 out of 5, more than the national average (3.5)
Ideal BBQ plate: chicken wings (25%), corn on the cob (44%), mac and cheese (18%), with ketchup (41%) as the go-to condiment

You can find the full study here, showcasing more of America’s BBQ habits and nationwide rankings.

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