FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 2, 2006

Contact: Luke Howe, 770-883-8452 or luke@gailbuckner.com

Buckner questions opponent’s campaign contributions

Secretary of State Candidate, Gail Buckner, calls for official probe

JONESBORO – The Buckner campaign addressed recent evidence, suggesting her opponent exploited her office for campaign contributions. This evidence, offered by a group of Fulton County residents, details more than a dozen instances where Commission Chairman Handel accepted substantial contributions from bid recipients and re-zoning applicants. At just a glance, Handel’s disclosure reads like a who’s who of engineering, construction, real estate and other fields that fall under the canopy of urban development.

The report states, “for the last three years, Fulton County Commission Chairman, Karen Handel, has not only used her position as a stepping-stone for higher office, but she has used the bid and zoning processes to build an unprecedented war chest for her current campaign.” The report goes on by rattling off a litany of specific names and dates to support these allegations. In response, Buckner called for an immediate investigation to determine if any laws or ethics guidelines were broached. “Georgians deserve to know if a candidate for Secretary of State has been throwing her weight around to collect contributions,” said Buckner.

“It became clear to me as I went around during the fall campaign that there was something strange going on. I would talk to people who said they would vote for me but could not give me a donation because they did not want it to show. This also explains her adamant opposition to campaign finance reform. In fact, this is a clarion call to begin that discussion. State legislators are prohibited from raising funds while the General Assembly is in session. As your next Secretary of State, I will seek legislation that puts similar constraints on city and county officials, vying for statewide office, said Buckner.

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