CARROLLTON, Ga. - With just six days to go before Tuesday’s primary runoff, Republican Brian Kemp spent part of Thursday under oath giving a deposition in a legal case.
The candidate for governor is accused of stiffing a north Georgia businessman on a half million dollar loan.
Kemp spent more than three hours inside a law office in Carrollton, giving sworn testimony in a lawsuit brought by Rick Phillips, a Toccoa businessman who says he had been a friend of Kemp. He says Kemp came to his office requesting a loan in 2015. After paying it off, he says Kemp requested another one in 2016.
Phillips produced documents showing Kemp personally guaranteed repayment of a loan of a half million dollars on behalf of a company called Hart Ag Strong, according to court documents. Kemp says he is an investor in the company.
“It was Hart Ag Strong but he personally guaranteed the loan. I dealt with no one else. Brian Kemp is the only person I ever dealt with," Phillips told 11Alive News in June.
The loan is more than a year past due. Kemp says Hart Ag Strong owes Phillips the money, not Kemp. Kemp says his investment has also lost money for him.
The deposition comes one day after what Kemp says was among the best in the campaign when President Trump announced his support for Kemp.
But Kemp says the unexpected support from Trump has given his campaign momentum in what has been a tight race with Casey Cagle. The lawsuit has been a trouble spot for Kemp; the deposition was an ill-timed interruption.
"I’ve been trying to do it for a long time and it just happened this was the day," Kemp told 11Alive News after the deposition was completed. "I knew if I tried to delay it after the election, I’d be accused of being political so. We’re going through the process. I’m hopeful that the company will pay Mr. Phillips back and put this to bed."
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