GOP lawmaker slams fellow Republican over stock selloff scandal: 'I am disgusted'
Georgia Rep. Doug Collins is challenging Sen. Kelly Loeffler for her seat this November.
The race for Senate in Georgia is getting ugly, after Rep. Doug Collins attacked appointed Sen. Kelly Loeffler for selling off of hundreds of thousands in personal stock right before the market tanked due to coronavirus fears.
“I am disgusted, but I can’t say that I am surprised by the actions of Loeffler and those who would put their own interest above that of the American people,” Collins said Monday, according to Bloomberg’s Erik Wasson.
Loeffler is one of two GOP senators who sold off hundreds of thousands of stock after an all-senators briefing on the growing COVID-19 pandemic.
Loeffler also purchased between $100,000 and $250,000 of stock in Citrix, a company that sells teleworking software — something many companies are now using as employees are forced to work from home — after the briefing, according to the Daily Beast.
Loeffler has defended herself amid calls to resign.
Collins has now seized on the opportunity, apparently viewing the controversy as an opportunity to gain support for his own campaign.
Republicans had always feared a match-up between Collins and Loeffler in this Senate contest, a special election being held to fill out the remainder of retired GOP Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term. All candidates will run on the same ballot in the November election. If no candidate garners at least 50% in the race, the two top vote recipients will head to a runoff.
Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have squarely backed Loeffler over Collins, even though Collins was initially Donald Trump’s pick for the seat.
And they tried to force Collins out of the race, thinking that a protracted battle between Republican candidates could endanger Republicans’ hold on the seat and hand it over to a Democrat, as Georgia is slowly but surely trending more competitive.
Now, those fears are materializing, as Loeffler finds herself embroiled in a controversy that has attracted loud scrutiny from her own Republican rival.
As of now, it’s unclear if the face-off will change the trajectory of the race, which the political handicapping website Inside Elections rates as a “likely Republican” contest.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
Recommended
Texas activists pushed abortion restrictions in NM cities and counties, records show
Emails reveal influence and control in exchange for promises of legal help
By Austin Fisher, Source NM - March 04, 2024Cannabis workers across Missouri begin push to unionize dispensaries
The first day was a breeze. Sean Shannon and Danny Foster walked into several marijuana dispensaries around Missouri with their matching “Union For Cannabis Workers” shirts and talked to employees about the possibility of unionizing. “The first day, there were 57 stops amongst the teams,” said Shannon, lead organizer with UFCW Local 655, which actually […]
By Rebecca Rivas - December 04, 2023Curtis Hertel Jr. places public service over politics in Michigan congressional run
'To me, this country is craving people that are problem solvers who will work and put the partisan politics aside,' Hertel said.
By Alyssa Burr - October 20, 2023