Desperation from the Hawkins Camp

In an attempt to prop up his crumbling campaign Lee Hawkins has reached a new low. He and his "newest supporter" have made wild, baseless accusations without providing a single ounce of evidence. It is unfortunate that Hawkins is now engaging in gutter politics in a futile effort to tear down Tom simply because he is unable to build up his campaign any further. Tom has done nothing wrong and will continue doing what he has done for the past 11 months - earn the support and trust of the voters in Georgia's 9th District.


Statement from Graves Campaign Regarding Hawkins' Newest False, Negative Attack:
 
(RANGER, GA) - Scott Rials, General Consultant for Graves for Congress, released the following statement regarding Linda Umberger's Letter to the Editor that appeared in today's Dawson News and Adviser:
 
"It is unfortunate that Linda decided to resign her position as the campaign's county coordinator and then switch to the Lee Hawkins team.  Tom and members of his team spoke with Linda in hopes of working through her concerns.  However, she chose not to reverse course and instead joined Lee Hawkins team and now falsely attacks Tom Graves."
 
"Linda had always had a soft spot in her heart for Lee, several times challenging members of the Graves staff as to why she should support Tom over Lee.  The team explained to her Tom's strong conservative values, his commitment to lower taxes and private sector growth and how he's always stood on principles, never wavering to the outside pressure to fold to demands.  The team felt they had reassured her, but apparently that was not the case."
 
"Linda's disagreements with the campaign came when a member of the Graves team said Lee was padding his campaign account when it was revealed in one of his recent Federal Election Commission filings that his campaign had received over $30,000 from a single Washington, DC Political Action Committee (five times over the legal contribution limit for the Special General Election) and over $12,600 in one day from his top campaign aide and his wife.  Linda then responded that she knew Tom had inflated his fundraising reports as well because the Graves campaign asked her to report her in-kind contributions for items she bought for the campaign's office open house and for furniture she lent to the campaign to be used in the office.  She was also upset with the team because it had been said to her that Lee was self-funding his campaign.  Fundraising reports filed by Lee's campaign with the Federal Election Commission revealed Lee loaned his campaign over $145,000."
 
"Tom and his campaign manager met with Linda on separate occasions to explain the complicated federal election law and the financial reports candidates seeking federal office are required to file.  After meeting with the campaign manager, Linda called and apologized to another member of the team for her comments."
 
"It wasn't until Monday of this week, two weeks after she resigned her position with the campaign, that Linda went public with her resignation and her baseless charges.
 
"In fact, Tom has run his campaign above board.  He's contracted a federal elections compliance officer to make sure contributions to his campaign are legal.  He's filed all his fundraising and financial reports on time, unlike Lee, and has disclosed all contributions, regardless if they are cash or an in-kind.  Linda is mistaken.  After her 'extensive research' she makes false and wild accusations, yet never provides one ounce of evidence that Tom did anything wrong."
 
"Linda went public with her disagreements the same day Lee launched a false, negative television advertisement against Tom.  It is evident that Linda was provided a district-wide media list from the Hawkins campaign to spread her lies about Tom.  Could there have been more to Linda's relationship with the Hawkins' campaign while she was supposedly serving as county chairman.  Who knows?  The bottom line is Lee is unable to prop up his crumbling campaign so he is resorting to tearing down others and is now using volunteers in coordinated attacks."
 
"I've seen some strange things in my 20 years in politics, but this scenario takes the cake."

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