The Georgia Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission recently released a statement calling the fine of $16,900 levied against former Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis Jr. as setting “a good example” for the future.
We beg to differ.
The combined fine for multiple violations of campaign finance law may be a good start; but if anything, the Davis fine is an example of how weak Georgia’s campaign finance laws are and how enforcement of the law is tedious and difficult.
The commission, in the case of Davis, was hamstrung for years by the narrow scope of what is allowed within an investigation. The evidence presented to the commission must only be related to the direct violation as stated in the initial complaint.
For example, in a grand jury setting, prosecutors may introduce evidence that ties campaign money to a shady non-profit, or testimony might lead to interest in hidden bank accounts that intermingle taxpayer funds with campaign activities.
A grand Jury can start with a campaign violation and eventually tie it to an unsolved murder if that is where testimony or documentary evidence leads.
In the case that led to the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, the grand jury was focused on allegations made by Paula Jones in her lawsuit. The name “Monica Lewinsky” never appeared in the Jones’ lawsuit; her name only surfaced as testimony was given, finally backing the president into a corner.
Clinton ultimately was forced to pay a large fine, surrender his law license and face the shame of his personal dalliances making it into the Congressional record and history books via his impeachment trial.
If the Davis case was held before a grand jury rather than the GTCFC, the “My Brothers Keeper” bank account, the spurious ties between the mayor’s campaign and his city-paid staff as well as the possible intermingling of dark money funds through non-profits would have been scrutinized.
With Davis, the taxpayers ultimately spent far more money attempting to prosecute a narrow set of charges than we will ever get back out of Davis in the form of a $16,900 fine, even if he actually pays the fine.
It is time for the Georgia legislature to put some teeth in the state’s campaign finance laws and give the GTCFC the ability to investigate violations wherever they may occur. Otherwise, just abolish the GTFCFC and let the politicians do what they want; that might actually be cheaper in the long run.
