Outside Influence

Sam Burnham, Curator
@C_SamBurnham

A Quick Check of the Map: Only Taxpayers in States Highlighted in Red Should Be Making Donations or Giving Endorsements

Something is really bugging me. We're well into the gubernatorial election in Georgia and I've noticed a lot of outsiders trying to play a role.

Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams has raised over 60% of her campaign funding from non-Georgia sources. That's not a misprint, over half her campaign funding comes from outside the state. That's absurd. Abrams has also secured the endorsements of California Senator Kamala Harris, among other notable non-Georgians.New Jersey Senator Corey Booker tweeted "I proudly support Stacey Abrams, a governor for all of Georgia," despite his being from none of Georgia. 

GOP candidate Brian Kemp has been given a full endorsement by non-Georgian, President Donald Trump.

Lt. Governor Casey Cagle recently attended a fundraising event in Las Vegas, Nevada. Las Vegas is not in Georgia. There's no reason for one Georgian to go to Las Vegas to rally campaign donations from other Georgians...unless everyone involved is seriously inefficient. 

Brian Kemp has raised 97% and Cagle 91% of their funding from inside Georgia, which suggests they've raised 3% and 9%, respectively, from outside the state.

George Soros, also not a Georgian, recently dumped a cool $1 million into the coffers of the Georgia Democratic Party.

If you remember the Jon Ossoff fiasco from last year where half of California showed up to campaign for and donate money to a candidate who did not even live in the district (and therefore could not even vote for himself), you realize this is not a new phenomenon. It's just getting more ridiculous.

We have too many not Georgia hands in our Georgia business.

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When someone takes that seat behind the desk on the 2nd floor of the Capitol, they need to have their undivided loyalty focused squarely on the people of Georgia, not Las Vegas, not Washington, not New York City, not California, not New Jersey. Period. Our state legislators on the 3rd floor need the same priorities. Our congressional delegation in Washington needs to be focused on the needs of our state as well. Period. No exceptions.

We cannot expect anyone to maintain an undivided loyalty when they are 60% (or any %) funded from outside the state. Politicians bow to money and powerful endorsements and when that money or power is not from the constituency, then someone besides their constituents is going to get their ear. That not only opens the door for corruption, that is corruption. There is no way to excuse or justify it. None.

And because politicians depend on this corruption to fund and endorse their careers, they aren't going to outlaw it. And until it is outlawed, which it won't be, it is incumbent on the voters to demand that the candidates they support be willing to show that they support the voters by only taking funding and prestige from within the ranks of the people of Georgia. We should never accept anything else from them.