WABE - Deal and Carter Face Off In Debate

News Article

By Jonathan Shapiro

The first formal debate between the candidates for governor was a rowdy affair. It took place at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry.

Republican incumbent Nathan Deal had more supporters in the auditorium than Democrat Jason Carter and Deal used it to his advantage, confidently rebutting attacks about the state's unemployment rate, which recently fell to worst in the country.

"Senator Carter, I know you're young and inexperienced but obviously you're trying to hold me accountable for the great recession," said Deal.

He touted his record on jobs.

"We are now the fourth fastest job creator in the country last year and it continues to grow."

Carter said the economy clearly isn't working for the middle-class. He said unlike Deal he would adequately fund K-12 education.

A panelist asked Deal why he should be trusted to overhaul the state's troubled ethics commission, given past allegations. Deal went on to deny claims he helped squash an ethics investigation into his 2010 campaign.

"The ethics complaints filed against me were heard by the five commissioners and were dismissed with no merit," said Deal.

Carter said it was "almost amazing" that Deal would make such a statement.

"They were only dismissed after the governor's office interfered with the investigation and now the taxpayers are on the hook for the cover-up," said Carter.

A former ethics commission chief, Stacey Kalberman, and three of her staffers allege they were pushed out from their jobs for investigating Deal. A jury agreed and awarded Kalberman a million dollars. The state subsequently settled with her three staffers for another $2 million.

Deal denied any involvement.

"The truth of the matter is we did not interfere. If we had, we would have been indicted by somebody. We never have been indicted," said Deal.

Carter has previously pointed out Deal's office helped hire Kalberman's replacement while she was still leading the agency.

Carter stayed on the attack.

"I've seen the documents that say that the governor's office interfered and I've seen the court sanction the attorneys for hiding those documents," said Carter. "Let me just say this, imagine a world where the governor comes on the radio and he's not talking about an ethics scandal. Wouldn't that be nice?"

Georgia's attorney general was fined $10,000 for withholding key documents related to settling the ethics case against Deal.

The latest polls put the race at a dead heat.

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