John Oxendine Campaign Contribution Scandal: A Timeline

I’ve already commented here on the story that broke yesterday about the potentially illegal campaign contributions received by John Oxendine.

But let’s look at the complete timeline:

Weds-Fri last week: AJC begins working on an article about potentially illegal campaign contributions recieved by John Oxendine and contacts the Oxendine campaign seeking comments/clarification. Oxendine tells the AJC on Weds “It’s not like an oversight or I didn’t know what the law was,” he said. “We received it from completely different sources, and they are not common.”

Friday: Oxendine releases an email telling supporters to expect “Lies, rumors, and more lies”.

Saturday: Peach Pundit gets wind of an AJC article forthcoming re: Oxendine

Sunday: AJC article comes out and is a major front page story with the headline “Oxendine’s big funder”

Ox ‘responds’ to AJC article: “Yes, these intrepid, profit generating, cracker jack ‘reporters’ have attacked John Oxendine with a front page ‘story’ which they consider to be serious investigative reporting.”

Monday: Ox actually adresses the report: “I decided to return the funds”

So first Oxendine warns of ‘lies’ to be forthcoming – knowing that the AJC is working on an article about illegal campaign funds he received. Then, when the AJC article comes out, he denies NOTHING about it, but instead attacks the AJC for its perceived (and, to my view, accurately perceived) bias and even takes a swipe at Karen Handle – this despite Friday’s email stating that he would run a ‘positive’ campaign ‘on the issues’. Finally, Monday he says that he is returning the money – pretty much admitting every detail of the AJC story, but trying to save face regardless.

Hmm… seems that John Oxendine doesn’t think the honesty and integrity of a person seeking office is an ‘issue’. I beg to differ on that, and I think the majority of Georgians will agree with me.

For full disclosure, the full text of all three emails from Ox is below the fold.

Friday Email:

Campaign Update May 2009

From: Kathryn Ballou – Campaign Manager

To: Team Oxendine
______________________________________________________________________

The political landscape in the Georgia 2010 Republican Party primary has experienced historic events since the unexpected withdrawal of Lt. Governor Casey Cagle.

A number of good people gave serious consideration to entering the primary. Likewise, many good people declined to move forward with a campaign.

It appears Congressman Nathan Deal and state Senator Eric Johnson, with their entries into the primary, have set the stage and settled the field of candidates.

The question is not which candidate are you for, but which candidate is for you?

We have great respect for both Congressman Deal and Senator Johnson and consider them formidable candidates who we will take seriously. Their addition to Secretary Handel and Commissioner Oxendine brings a set of four candidates who we believe can compete on a statewide basis. A fifth candidate is state Representative Austin Scott, who completes the current elected officials in the race.

We respect Ray McBerry. Team Oxendine understands he is sincere and passionate about those values he believes in and those issues that need to be debated.

Given the past several weeks, we realize that nothing is to be taken for granted when it comes to who might want to run against John in the primary. There are, however, a few facts and a few points we wanted to be sure we communicated with you, our grassroots leaders:

* John Oxendine is in this race and will not be dropping out – period. John Oxendine is in it to win it. No matter how many times the opposition tries this tired and lame rumor, it will not alter reality. John Oxendine will be the nominee of the Georgia Republican Party for Governor in 2010.
* John Oxendine is committed to a positive, issues-oriented campaign which empowers the grassroots of the Georgia Republican Party and the taxpayers of Georgia. Team Oxendine has been told to expect a series of personal, negative attacks from at least two of our opponents. Regardless of how negative any opponent goes, John and Team Oxendine will never, ever attack the personal life of one our opponents – we plan to stick to the issues.
* Lies, rumors, and more lies – get used to them. You will be subjected to them on an almost daily basis it appears. Because John is a solid, Ronald Reagan conservative, who will offer positive solutions to Georgia’s issues, our opponents and the status quo will avoid entering into debates on the issues. All that will be left is to lie and spread rumors. We will hold the line and stay positive.

Who can win in November of 2010:

John Oxendine has received more votes in three of the past four general elections in Georgia than any other single candidate on the ballot of either party.

John Oxendine has demonstrated he can win in both swing counties and traditional Democrat counties in a general election. John regularly carries counties such as Dougherty, Muscogee, Bibb, and similar counties which historically vote for Democrats in November.

John Oxendine does not need to raise millions of dollars for the sole purpose of introducing himself to the Republican Party and general election voters. They already know and trust him.

We have three candidates who start off as regional candidates. They will have to raise several million dollars just to introduce themselves to Georgia. Can our Party really move forward with an unknown statewide candidate in this important election?

John Oxendine is a proven statewide fundraiser. According to the 2006, 31 December reports John Oxendine raised $2,307,854, Nathan Deal $1,107,572, Karen Handel $1,090,603, and Eric Johnson $769,975. John Oxendine raised $100,000 for the John McCain campaign and the Georgia Republican Party in 2008. We need a candidate who has proven they can raise the money necessary to win in November that candidate is John Oxendine.

To date, every independent poll has John Oxendine as the only Republican candidate for Governor who polls ahead of every Democrat. In the most recent poll by a left of center organization, the polled John Oxendine as the only GOP candidate defeating all the Democrat potential nominees (including former Governor Roy Barnes). This same poll has Karen Handel losing to all the potential Democrat nominees.

John Oxendine has almost 16 years of executive management in state government and over 7 years of management the private sector. Yes, one of our opponents claims she is the only candidate with private sector experience but her facts are about as accurate as her policies are conservative – not very.

The Polls:

Facts are stubborn things.

The fact is every single poll that has been released has John Oxendine in the lead among announced candidates. The latest poll by Democrat leaning Daily Kos has John Oxendine defeating every Democrat (including Roy Barnes) and Karen Handel losing to every Democrat (including Roy Barnes). All the polls show the other candidates in single digits in statewide name ID and approval ratings.

The fact is Karen Handel has not demonstrated that she would defeat any Democrat in the November election and her negatives are higher than her positives on statewide approval ratings.

The fact is both Eric Johnson and Nathan Deal will have to raise millions of valuable campaign dollars (in this stressed economy) just to mount a professional campaign to introduce themselves both to GOP Primary voters and General election voters.

The fact is our Party needs a proven statewide vote winner, with high approval ratings, who poll after poll demonstrates he can defeat all the Democrat candidates. That person is John Oxendine.

What is at stake:

The next Governor will deal with redistricting. Every single Republican seat at both the Federal and State level are at risk if we lose the Governor’s Mansion. Can you imagine Roy Barnes and company with the big seat at that table?

The next Governor will deal with hundreds of millions of Federal dollars relating to many projects and issues. Can you imagine Roy Barnes and company in charge of spending that money? Do you think any Republican county would see even one dollar?

The next Governor will deal with critical issues such as, transportation, water, education, and jobs. Can you imagine Roy Barnes and company making these important decisions? They think MARTA is the answer to transportation, the animals in Florida really do deserve our water, the National Education Association really does know how best to educate your child, and the answer to jobs is to fund a Federal government jobs program in downtown Atlanta.

The issues are too important to risk control of state government to a nominee who is not a proven grassroots, Ronald Reagan conservative with statewide executive management and who can work with both the House and Senate on behalf of the taxpayers.

The one candidate the Georgia GOP has that unites our Party, fights for our conservative values, and actually defeats Democrats in the General Election is John Oxendine.

The Bottom-line:

The Georgia Republican Party cannot take the general election for granted. Our party and the conservative movement face a serious decision in this Primary. Are we going to nominate a proven statewide vote winner, with the strong name ID, with the highest approval ratings in the state, and who has demonstrated he is a true conservative – John Oxendine? Or, are we going to nominate a person who only announced after Casey dropped out of the race and decided that Georgia needed them to run or the Governor’s chosen one?

Team Oxendine will run our positive, issues-oriented, grassroots campaign. Our opponents will do what they need to do and define themselves. We look forward to a positive campaign and uniting the Party for victory in November of 2010.

John Oxendine
Governor 2010

Sunday email:

AJC Declares John Oxendine the Front-Runner for Governor 2010

Date: 10 May, 2009
To: Georgia Republicans
From: Kathryn Ballou, Campaign Manager

Team Oxendine is aware the “professional, objective, and transparently unbiased journalists” over at the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC) have answered the most debated question in the Georgia Republican Party at present time: Who really is the front-runner for the GOP nomination for Governor?

How did those conservative folks at the AJC decide? Was it from our John Oxendine Contract with Georgia press release we sent them stating what John will do for Georgians if elected Governor? A positive, issue-oriented, conservative piece with solutions to 12 of the major issues facing Georgia taxpayers. No.

The staff of the AJC, who are seeing record increases in new subscriptions, increasing the size of sections, hiring new staff on a daily basis, and expanding the area they sell the paper… wait, no, we have that backwards. They are losing subscribers at an historic pace, shrinking the actual size of the paper, laying people off left and left (they can never go right), and decreasing the areas they sell papers. Yes, these intrepid, profit generating, cracker jack “reporters” have attacked John Oxendine with a front page “story” which they consider to be serious investigative reporting.

What they have really done is confirm to conservatives which Republican candidate they are afraid of – which Republican candidate they do not want to win. This is a time honored tradition at the AJC. Attack and smear any real conservative who might actually win. Attack, attack, attack. Talk about anything but the issues.

At Team Oxendine, we wear this hit piece as a badge of honor. Georgia Republicans know perfectly well a candidate is not a serious front-runner until they have been attacked and smeared by the AJC. That day has come and the AJC has sent a message loud and clear – John Oxendine is a conservative the liberals cannot tolerate. We are proud to know the “fair and balanced” crowd at the AJC is not for John Oxendine.

We concede today that Georgia Republicans should anticipate the AJC will endorse Karen Handel in this primary. They will swoon about her “mainstream” approach and her “center of the road consensus building” approach to government. The AJC will praise her as a John McCain, go-along-to-get-along, centrist Republican.

If you are still in doubt as to the left-wing, anti-conservative, anti-American bias of the AJC, then consider this – with over a year to go before the Republican primary, they rushed this anti-Republican story in the Sunday Mother’s Day edition. They placed it above a story of a real Georgia hero – Karmen Callaway, a Georgia Mom whose three sons are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Even on Mother’s Day, the AJC would rather place a smear attack on the Republican front-runner ahead of a positive story about a Georgia Mom and her hero sons. That tells you all you need to know about the credibility of the AJC.

We accept that John Oxendine is a target of the liberal, leftist, big government AJC and that Karen Handel is their type of centrist, anti-conservative Republican.

John Oxendine
Governor 2010

Monday Email:

A Statement from John Oxendine:

I appreciate all those who have expressed their support these past few days as our campaign has addressed an issue related to contributions made to our campaign.

As it appeared to us, these were not checks from an insurance company we regulate. Additionally, it appeared that these checks were from different entities, not controlled by the same person or people. Under those facts, as we understood them, accepting these contributions was perfectly legal.

Based on facts that have recently come to light, previously unknown to us, we have concerns whether our understanding of the facts were complete. Last week, before these facts fully came to light, we filed an advisory opinion request with the Georgia State Ethics Commission.

Out of an abundance of caution, I decided to return the funds pending advice from the State Ethics Commission.

Let me be transparent and direct with the taxpayers of Georgia. I have promised to transform Georgia government. Although my staff and legal counsel, Stefan Passantino of McKenna, Long and Aldridge, advise that we have done nothing illegal, based on the facts as we know them, I am concerned Georgia voters might see this as politics as usual. Therefore, last week, immediately after my initial awareness of this matter, I ordered the process be set in motion to return every single contribution in question and to seek advice as to our rights and obligations to the State Ethics Commission.

I have criticized this as a hit piece and the facts are thus: Mr. Passantino communicated via email with the AJC reporter last Friday that they were to speak today. It is unfortunate that the AJC elected to move forward with this piece before having spoken with Mr. Passantino to get our side of the story.

Had this occurred, the story would not have been an issue because the AJC would have had the opportunity to report that the money had already been returned and that we had previously initiated a request for guidance and clarification from the State Ethics Commission.

The critics have questioned my personal integrity. I respect each of you as voters. I realize that many Georgians support our campaign and some oppose it. However, I am determined that those who do oppose my campaign, do so based on honorable disagreements on the issues and not based on a question of my integrity as it relates to campaign contributions.

I will run a non-traditional campaign and be a different type of Governor. I hope that today I have taken steps to demonstrate my sincerity to Georgia. It is my desire to have a campaign that is a positive, issue-oriented campaign based on traditional Reagan conservative values.

When reporters cover issues such as campaign contributions as opposed to covering the important issues before Georgia of transportation, education, water, health care, jobs, agriculture, and the Fair Tax, nothing is done to improve the lives of working families in Georgia.

I am pleased this matter is behind us and welcome the opportunity to listen to Georgians about those issues important to them and to talk about my Contract with Georgia.
John Oxendine
Oxendine Working for Georgia