Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian just called the Georgia elections restrictions signed into law last week was “unacceptable” and “based on a lie” of widespread fraud in last November’s election. #gapolajc.com/news/business/…
The stance could deepen a rift w/ Georgia Republican leaders. Delta in 2018 ended a discount for the NRA, prompting GOP leaders to block a lucrative tax break for the airline. #gapolajc.com/news/business/…
Some Republicans are already talking about ways to punish Delta, since there are a number of tax measures still pending on the final day of the session. It's akin to "Delta shooting us in the face with a shotgun without telling us it was coming," says a senior GOPer. #gapol
.@GovKemp on Delta’s stance:
“Today's statement by Delta CEO Ed Bastian stands in stark contrast to our conversations with the company, ignores the content of the new law, and unfortunately continues to spread the same false attacks being repeated by partisan activists.” #gapol
The chatter among Republicans about retaliating is growing. Rs are amazed Delta didn’t wait until tomorrow - when leg session is over - to issue this statement.
“This is the level of anger that makes people creative,” says one. “That should scare the shit out of them.” #gapol
Georgia Democrats aren’t exactly overjoyed either at a statement that came days after @GovKemp already signed the elections restrictions into law.
“Words would have mattered before... Actions matter now. What are they going to do to fix the mistake of their silence?” #gapol
Meanwhile, a group of religious leaders rallied outside the Metro Atlanta Chamber’s headquarters to protest the powerful group, which didn’t stridently oppose the elections law earlier this year. #gapol
Says @GovKemp on the corporate pushback: “Well, it would be nice if they pointed to a specific in this bill that they don’t like ...” #gapol
.@RepNikema: “The CEOs of these two companies are absolutely correct in their assertions that SB 202 is unacceptable and would take voting rights in Georgia backwards ... We look forward to engaging with Georgia companies like Coca-Cola and Delta as real partners.” #gapol
@RepNikema Microsoft, which is building a major corporate hub in Atlanta, weighs in: "... It’s not only right but essential for the business community to stand together in opposition to the harmful provisions and other similar legislation that may be considered elsewhere." #gapol
In a @USATODAY editorial, @staceyabrams says business boycotts are not necessary “yet” and writes that firms can “redeem themselves” if they oppose elections restrictions, fund voting rights expansion efforts and back pending federal overhauls. #gapolusatoday.com/story/opinion/…
@USATODAY@staceyabrams@ajc It seems less likely that Republicans will punish Delta -- at least this year. "We were mad for a while," says one, "but then we got back to business." 2022, the official said, is a different story. Says another senior GOPer: "We'll see." #gapolajc.com/news/business/…
@USATODAY@staceyabrams@ajc Just in: The Georgia House just narrowly passed an amendment that would repeal a tax break on jet fuel for Delta in response to the airline's criticism of the election measure. Still needs to pass in the Senate. #gapol
@USATODAY@staceyabrams@ajc Delta can heave a sigh of relief: The Georgia Senate has adjourned without taking up the vote to punish the airline by rescinding a tax break worth $35M+ #gapol
@USATODAY@staceyabrams@ajc House Speaker David Ralston made no effort to hide the fact that the attempt to strip Delta's tax break was payback: “You don’t feed a dog that bites your hand. You got to keep that in mind sometimes.” #gapolajc.com/news/business/…
Apple’s CEO joins the fray this AM: “The right to vote is fundamental in a democracy ... Apple believes that, thanks in part to the power of technology, it ought to be easier than ever for every eligible citizen to exercise their right to vote.” #gapolaxios.com/apple-tim-cook…
Georgia’s House Speaker got a bit heated when he said he will call Delta CEO Ed Bastian to “find out if he’s going to suspend flights into states that have more restrictive voting rights than we do.” #gapolajc.com/politics/polit…
It wouldn’t be a surprise if both Coke & Delta find themselves left out of the decision-making process in major Georgia policies going forward, senior Republicans say. One spoke of a “seismic” shift in the Capitol away from the twin behemoths. #gapolajc.com/politics/polit…
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Three right-wing Republicans behind a series of rules changes praised by Trump face intensifying political pressure as the State Election Board considers new rules for ballot-counting and election certification at its Monday meeting. #gapol ajc.com/politics/trump…
Fulton County’s former elections board chair filed an ethics complaint on Friday alleging a series of conflicts of interests, and asking Gov. Kemp to intervene. #gapol
Over the weekend, dozens of Georgia House Democrats penned a letter to Speaker Jon Burns asking him to replace his appointment to the board, Janelle King, who provided the swing vote for Trump’s “pit bull” bloc.
Just in: Former Fulton County Election Board Chair Cathy Woolard files an ethics complaint against three GOP members of the State Election Board in Georgia, accusing them of maneuvering to “advance their own political preferences.” #gapol
The complaint highlights the ovation for the three when Trump praised them at his Atlanta rally, along with comments from one of the members, Rick Jeffares, who told the Guardian he sought a job with the Trump administration if he wins in November. #gapol
(Jeffares told me in an interview he never made a formal ask for a Trump administration job, but didn’t deny being open to a gig if the Republican prevails.) #gapol ajc.com/politics/polit…
Now taking the stage, former President Donald Trump revived a bitter, long-running dispute with state Republicans ahead of his first rally in Georgia since Vice President Kamala Harris emerged as his Democratic rival and transformed the race for the battleground state. #gapol
To loud cheers from the audience, Trump says: "Atlanta is like a killing field and your governor ought to get off his ass and do something." #gapol
Trump brings up Kemp's opposition to a special session to illegally overturn the 2020 vote. “Your governor Kemp and Raffensperger are doing everything possible to make it difficult for Republicans in 2024 to win. … Kemp is very bad for the Republican party.” #gapol
Just in: A federal judge has struck down Georgia’s congressional and legislative maps, ruling that they violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Georgia lawmakers have until Dec. 8 to draw new lines, setting up a special legislative session. #gapol
The ruling is a victory for Democrats and their allies who challenged the maps, contending they illegally diluted the voting power of Black Georgians. And some Democrats were already lining up to run in GOP-leaning districts that could be redrawn. #gapol ajc.com/politics/why-d…
The decision could result in the election of additional Black representatives next year, with Democrats hoping to gain a seat in the U.S. House, where Republicans currently hold a narrow majority, @markniesse reports. #gapol ajc.com/politics/break…
Brian Kemp on why he’ll back Donald Trump if he wins the GOP nod, even though he tormented the governor for much of the last three years: “Despite all of that, despite all of his other trials and tribulations, he would still be a lot better than Biden." ajc.com/politics/polit…
Kemp also urged hardline Republicans in the U.S. House to “pass the damn bill” to fund the government and avoid a shutdown or risk damaging political backlash. And he endorsed maintaining a robust level of military aid for Ukraine. #gapol ajc.com/politics/polit…
The second-term Republican also discussed his decision not to run for president next year and, for now, downplayed talk of a 2026 bid for U.S. Senate against Democrat Jon @ossoff. #gapol
A judge has just released the full report compiled by a Fulton County special grand jury that laid the groundwork for the election interference indictments last month against Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants. documentcloud.org/documents/2394…
The special grand jury recommended charges be brought against dozens of officials with “respect to the national effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election” — including former U.S. Sens. David Perdue (17-4 vote) and Kelly Loeffler (14-6 vote). #gapol
The special grand jury report also recommended charges be brought against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who was a state senator when he served as a fake GOP elector in December 2020.