ATLANTA — Democrat Senate candidate Jon Ossoff responded Tuesday to an 11Alive report detailing how Georgia Sen. David Perdue had opted to attend a meeting with donors over a hearing concerning military housing.
11Alive's Doug Richards reported Monday night about Perdue's inside circle of well-heeled supporters and donors he calls "the Boardroom."
Last February, Perdue met with those donors at the same time a Senate Armed Services subcommittee hearing was being held featuring testimony from military families about efforts to improve substandard housing at bases, including Georgia's Fort Benning.
Local reports throughout the past couple years have detailed issues at Fort Benning housing such as the presence of lead paint and mold.
At that hearing, appointed civilian Army official Alex A. Beehler acknowledged the "situation at Fort Benning" before he was cut off.
The “boardroom” meeting with campaign donors started at 4 p.m. Perdue joined them while the Senate subcommittee hearing continued, in his absence, a few blocks away.
Calling it "egregiously unethical," Ossoff said Tuesday "it is even more disturbing that the senator would meet with this so-called boardroom of donors and lobbyists instead of attending an official hearing, not just about the welfare of American military families, but the welfare of military families who are his constituents here in Georgia."
11Alive's Richards reported that a "chairman" level donor, for $5,400 annually, can attend quarterly events with Perdue, an annual retreat at Georgia's Sea Island resort and a yearly reception at the senator's personal Sea Island residence.
UGA political science professor Charles Bullock told 11Alive the practice is "pretty standard" for such access to be made available for donations, but that it was "probably not a smart idea" to meet with donors instead of a hearing impacted military families.
Ossoff called it "precisely the corruption that is destroying our democracy."
"In response to these revelations, Senator Perdue must answer the following questions," the Democrat said. "Who are the donors and lobbyists who make up his so-called boardroom? With whom did Perdue meet instead of attending to his official duties where the welfare of Georgia military families was directly at stake? Were any lobbyists or representatives of corporate PACs in attendance at this meeting of David Perdue's so-called boardroom? If so, who were they, and what interests do they represent? Was any legislative business or public policy discussed at this private meeting with donors, lobbyists or representatives of corporate PACs?"
"And finally, does Perdue really believe it is ethical and proper for lobbyists and donors to be offered exclusive meetings and retreats with a sitting U.S. senator as a direct exchange for campaign contributions?" he added.
Perdue's office sent 11Alive a link to a YouTube video showing Perdue, during a committee hearing 10 months later, questioning military officials about lead levels in military housing at Ft. Benning.
His office also released a statement saying the senator “has taken strong action to improve military housing at bases in Georgia,” but didn’t address his scheduling on last February.
Ossoff, who ran unsuccessfully for a suburban Atlanta House seat in a 2017 special election, is among the leading Democrats vying for the nomination to run against Perdue this year.
He is up against former Columbus mayor Teresa Tomlinson and 2018 Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Sarah Riggs Amico, among others.
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