This past week the national news saw former President Donald Trump fined $83.3 million for defamation. The same week saw former mayor of Augusta Hardie Davis fined $16,900 for state ethics violations related to his campaign. Both penalties and what they represent are worth exploring deeper.
Immediately after the story broke about Davis, comments began to be posted about how light the penalty was and how unequitable the amount was compared to Davis’ transgressions.
I agree! However, the fact that Davis was found in violation and a judge was found that was willing to extract damages is a positive development. Make no mistake about it, the penalty is painful to Davis.
A Jan. 1, 2023 column I wrote stated “Being the mayor of Augusta was a tough undertaking for Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr. It nearly cost him everything.”
Conservative estimates put Davis’ net worth, excluding his real estate holdings, at between $6,000 to $7,000. That figure was determined by combining his liabilities, such as personal credit cards, retirement account balances and cash in the bank.
Davis’ divorce resulted in his wife being deeded his portion of their primary residence, while she had to give up her interest in their rental property at 2549 Spirit Creek Road in Hephzibah. Davis quickly sold the home only four months after the divorce was final.
Best estimates put Davis’ total net worth at $80,000 to $90,000 when all of his assets are combined. This could explain why Davis’ mailbox is on his 70+ year old parents couch.
Still, there is no reason to feel sorry for Davis. He made his pull-out couch bed and now he has to lay in it. Davis managed to bamboozle citizens multiple times to vote for him. The citizens of Augusta paid dearly for the mistake as Davis used taxpayer funds to finance a life of luxury on struggling citizens backs.
This penalty equates to 20% of Davis’ net worth.
Davis left office with his marriage and family in shambles. Prospects of Davis running for office again are dead on arrival. If reputation matters at all, Davis’ has been shredded.
As you assemble the puzzle pieces of the shambles of Davis’ life a picture of an alone, a broken man comes into focus. His days of living high on the hog on others back is over.
Davis still preaches at Abundant Life Worship Center on Sundays and likely draws a salary from the gig. Linkedin states that Davis began working at SBF accounting firm in Florida in March of 2023, but he is not listed on their website and there is no reference to Davis in any new staff posts from the company for the last year.
It would be very ironic if Davis got a job in any finance related field given his inability to handle the most basic accounting functions while mayor.
Trump’s defamation fine is very different. The Augusta Press is a hyper local focused organization, so I won’t delve into Trump much here.
Davis is likely to try and figure out how to get out of paying the $16,900 fine, but The Augusta Press is going to keep tabs to make sure the state forces him to make the payment.
Chance of Trump ever writing a check to E. Jean Carroll is slim to none.
First, whether or not the sexual assault accusation from Carroll that is nearly three decades old is true, is not the issue. The truth on whether the former president assaulted Carroll or not will never be known. The defamation case is different. It is not to determine guilt, but rather to determine damages based on comments Trump has not denied making. Whether those comments are protected under the First Amendment will likely be determined by years of appeals.
Unlike Davis, the whopping $83.3 million won’t change how Trump lives his life.
If Trump pays Carroll, Trump will still be a multi-billionaire and be adored by half of the voting age adults in the United States. It would be incorrect to say it’s “pocket change” to Trump, so instead we will just call it a rounding error. He will be angry and gripe about writing the check, but at the end of the day it won’t matter to him.
The motto of Augusta Press is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Davis is a perfect example of the comfortable. Nobody would deny that the citizen of Augusta are the afflicted.
Ultimately, Davis was fined for campaign violations and not misuse of city funds. The Augusta Press’s watchdog actions on city government is a rally cry to all citizens that the people have had enough. It is a warning to all who would seek to run for public office and even more so to those who would win. You will be held accountable for how you handle taxpayer funds and behave while in office.
Joe Edge is the publisher of The Augusta Press. Reach him at joe.edge@theaugustapress.com
