Lt. Governor’s PAC reportedly kicks in $250,000 for narrow victory

Jason Anavitarte, controversial candidate for the Republican ballot in Georgia’s state senate District 31 primary contest has apparently squeaked past opponent Boyd Austin, a former mayor.

 Austin has criticized Anavitarte as representing “outside interests” rather than the district; “…a breakdown of Anavitarte’s contributions from both his April 30th report as well as his latest one bear this out. In the April document 94 percent of Anavitarte’s contributions come from outside the district (with many from lobbyists). In the latest report, outside-the-district donations make up 97 percent of Anavitarte’s total. Only six individuals in the district gave a monetary contribution” according to a July note at Insider Advantage Georgia.

As of August 22, the Secretary of State website still shows results of the August 11^TH primary contest as “Unofficial Results – Totals may not include all Absentee or Provisional Ballots” but watchers agree that Anavitarte will likely prevail in the final vote tally.

UPDATE: Final and official results show that Anavitarte won 10,574 to 10,348, a margin of 226 votes.

Anavitarte has drawn considerable attention since it was revealed that from 2006 -2009 he served on the board of the radical GALEO Inc. GALEO is well known as a corporate-funded force against immigration enforcement, ICE holds, 287(g), voter ID and official English. In 2006, the same year Anavitarte joined the board of directors, GALEO teamed with the ACLU, MALDEF, and the ADL in a protest rally against state immigration enforcement.

GALEO Director Jerry Gonzalez has illustrated the group’s mission with antics such as escorting admitted illegal aliens into the Georgia senate Chamber in an effort to stop passage of a 2006 bill, the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act (SB529) – aimed at reducing Georgia’s attractiveness as a destination for illegal immigration. Gonzalez has also been criticized for badgering a diminutive female state Rep, Katie Dempsey, for her pro-enforcement position on E-Verify in a Rome, Ga. public forum.

In early 2016, another former GALEO board member and state court judge, Dax Lopez, was passed over for confirmation after an Obama nomination for a lifetime seat on the federal bench due to his ties to GALEO.  This writer was proudly credited with leading the opposition to the Lopez nomination with the research series ‘A Beginner’s Guide to GALEO’ posted on the Dustin Inman Society website in 2015 and 2016.

On its political blog, the Atlanta Journal Constitution has reported that a PAC, ‘Advance Georgia,’ founded by Georgia’s Republican Lt. Governor and president of the senate Geoff Duncan helped Anavitarte’s slim victory with a $250,000 infusion:

“Jason Anavitarte might owe Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan a thank-you note for his apparent narrow GOP runoff victory over Boyd Austin in the contest to replace state Sen. Bill Heath, R-Bremen. The lieutenant governor’s PAC pumped about $250,000 into Anavitarte’s bid. He’s currently up by about 200 votes – a 1% margin says the liberal AJC Political Insider blog.

“Jason Anavitarte is a former member of the Paulding County School Board and candidate for Senate District 31 in the Georgia Legislature. Most recently, Jason served as Senior Adviser of Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan’s campaign and served on the state finance committee for Governor Brian Kemp during the 2018 election. Jason has been named one of the 50 Most Influential Latinos in Georgia” according to Anavitarte’s campaign website, Campaign website (August 19, 2020).

Anavitarte, who has described himself as an admirer and supporter of Senator Marco Rubio, is a former Doraville City Council member and in 2005 filed to run for the state House as a Democrat. In the recent primary he was endorsed by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and originally did not mention illegal immigration on his campaign site as an issue.

That changed after he drew the attention of pro-enforcement conservatives and the media. He now has stated policy positions on immigration that are curiously tailored to a candidate for federal office as opposed to a state senate seat, but has assured voters he is supports legal immigration without offering limits. From JasonAnavitarte.com:

“I support legal immigration and I want to see our current immigration laws upheld. I support the following reforms:

1. Secure the border. Lack of border security is causing a rise in crimes. It is estimated that in 2018 235,000 illegal immigrants were arrested on various charges.  https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/president-trump-sends-letter-border-security/

2. End chain migration. Stop the original immigrant from petitioning to bring their extended families into the USA.

3. Move to a merit-based skill categories system. This system would put an emphasis on education and skill as a basis for acceptance into the country.

4. Reform welfare. Deny welfare to anyone with a green card or visa.

5. NO AMNESTY! Enforcement of deportation will stop people from coming to our borders.

6. I support the use of e-verify by our businesses. We need to hire people that are legal to work here in Georgia.

7. No in-state tuition for illegal immigrants.”

Lt Governor Duncan’s PAC was the topic of AJC coverage in October, which included the observation: “the financial haul could also help Duncan exert more influence over a fractious Republican caucus that sporadically sparred during his first legislative session. Duncan said he preferred to view it as a “partnership” to support Republicans.”

According to the most recent estimates from DHS, Georgia is home to more illegal aliens than Arizona and enforcement of laws designed to deny jobs, benefits and services to illegals is routinely ignored by the Republicans who have run the state for *more than a decade nearly two decades.

Anavitarte and his committee and floor votes on illegal immigration-related matters will be the focus of much attention from conservative writers and voters when he becomes a state senator.

*Edited, 1Sept2020 – dak

GALEO infamous in state politics for its extreme positions on immigration and radical leadership

Jason Anavitarte registered to run for state House in 2006 as a Democrat.

Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan office phone – 404-656-5030

Republican Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan has endorsed a candidate for state senate who is a former board member of a leftist organization that lobbies against immigration enforcement, voter ID, ICE holds and official English for government.

State Senate District 31 hopeful Jason Anavitarte served on the board of directors of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO) from 2006 to 2009. During that time, GALEO lobbied against passage of the nationally noted SB529, the Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act which established a requirement that public employers and their contractors sort out newly hired blackmarket labor with use of the federal employment verification system now known as E-Verify.

The legislation also required state use of the federal 287(g) program that allows local law enforcement to screen jail inmates for immigration status and report illegal alien prisoners to ICE for deportation proceedings. The bill, now law, that GALEO vehemently opposed also requires that local and county governments verify the legal status of people applying for local, state and federal public benefits.

GALEO Executive Director and former Democrat fundraiser, Jerry Gonzalez, drew much attention during the lobbying frenzy against the 2006 state immigration enforcement measure when he escorted self-described illegal aliens into the gold-domed state Capitol telling legislators they should regard the illegal aliens  as “constituents.” Gonzalez described the illegals as merely “immigrants.” The staged and pre-announced GALEO transporting and encouragement of the illegals made a memorable note for pro-enforcement groups and news in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

As has been reported elsewhere, GALEO was established in 2003. Along with Jane Fonda, Anavitarte is also listed as a GALEO “Founding Friend.”

A February Twitter post from Lt. Governor Duncan describes Anavitarte as a “proven conservative…”

The endorsement from Duncan has raised eyebrows in conservative quarters of the state’s Republican Party not only because GALEO is well known for its corporate-funded opposition to immigration enforcement, but because candidate Anavitarte, now running as a Republican, filed to run for state House in 2006 as a Democrat.

The Lt. Governor also serves as president of the state senate.

Perhaps the most jarring surprise for pro-enforcement voters in Duncan’s endorsement is the fact that in 2016, U.S. Senator David Perdue terminated the Judiciary Committee’s confirmation process of another former GALEO board member and State Court Judge, Dax Lopez, who was nominated for a federal judgeship by former President Barack Obama. Perdue made it clear that his office investigated the nominee’s ties to the controversial GALEO and ended the chances of confirmation because of that relationship.

“After a thorough review of the professional and judicial record of DeKalb County Judge Dax Lopez, I have become uncomfortable with his longstanding participation in a controversial organization including his service on its board of directors” Perdue wrote in his statement on the matter.

The obvious – and many say troubling – difference in judgment between Georgia’s Republican Lt. Governor and its senior U.S. Senator is not going un-noticed by grassroots GOP voters.

According to the left-leaning Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, Georgia is home to more illegal aliens than green card holders.

Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp, snared a primary endorsement from President Donald Trump in 2018 due in large part to Kemp’s tough talk and campaign promises on illegal immigration. Kemp has not mentioned immigration since the November, 2018 election.

Ballotpedia lists four Republican candidates for Georgia’s senate District 31.

Both leading Republican candidates for Georgia’s 2022 U.S. Senate race have supported immigration amnesty

A Washington friend asked me to outline what is happening in Georgia with the 2022 race for U.S. Senate related to immigration. I explained that reading the liberal Atlanta Journal Constitution would not give him a full picture.

_____

The story so far.

Elected in 2010, career Big Ag lobbyist and Georgia’s current Commissioner of Agriculture, Gary Black, went to Washington in 2011 and recommended to a U.S. Senate panel that illegal alien farm labor be legalized. They should be required to remain in the farm industry to keep their renewable work permits, he said.

See here for a link to Black’s Senate testimony.

Gary Black is now a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate to replace pro amnesty Democrat Raphael Warnock.    

Agriculture is Georgia’s largest industry. Republicans control the state Capitol – as much as the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and Big Ag allow.

Georgia media treats Black’s amnesty and indentured servitude advocacy as a closely guarded secret. This includes the uber-liberal Atlanta Journal Constitution.  And some establishment Republican talk show hosts.

Black is the donor class choice for the 2022 Republican senate primary, which is illustrated by the fact that former Governor Nathan Deal has endorsed him. So have about seventy-five Georgia sheriffs and a long list of Republican state legislators – few of whom, we suspect, are aware of his past call for amnesty. We think it likely that few care.

Enter Trump-pushed senate hopeful and now front runner Georgia football icon Herschel Walker who finally announced his own candidacy in late August. Big on “unity,” Walker was slow to put out a real campaign platform or position on “issues” until news broke this week about his past call for immigration amnesty.

Yesterday the liberal AJC ran a story on Walker and a 2015 statement he made regarding amnesty.

“He told USA Today in August 2015 that he supports Trump’s idea of building a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico but disagreed with his plan to deport millions of immigrants living in the country illegally. He also said then that he’d back a proposal that enables such immigrants to earn citizenship” goes the AJC report. Update: Walker on controlling the border and the economy to the UGA College Republicans – January 13, 2022 .

The next day (Oct 19) the AJC political blog (“The Jolt”) reported that Gary Black created and is airing a radio ad hitting Walker for his immigration stance.

As of late October 19, the AJC still has not reported on Black’s amnesty advocacy or the indentured servitude angle. I waited until the daily AJC political blog was posted this AM to put this up. No mention of Gary Black’s call for amnesty. Some news is apparently more news than other news…

It’s a good bet the liberal AJC plans on keeping Black’s secret as long as they can. Meantime, pro-amnesty Democrat incumbent Warnock has (updated amount from “9 million”) $17 million cash on hand.

The Herschel Walker camp has not disputed or backed away from his 2015 comments on amnesty but has put out a statement that includes the below moldy-oldie dodge:

“America is a nation of immigrants, and Herschel strongly supports those who follow the process to legally enter this country,” said Walker campaign spokesperson Mallory Blount. “He has several dear friends who have done so. We have a humanitarian and illegal immigration crisis at our southern border that career politicians have created.

“When you have a leak, you fix it. Any conversations about immigration have to start with finally securing our southern border and Herschel will work to make that happen, unlike our current senators.” – Capitol Beat News Service.

We don’t think the advisors in Walker’s campaign have a clue about visa overstays and that more than half of the illegal aliens in the U.S. today did not come over the border illegally. Voters either. It’s not included in “the news” from the AJC.

Did we mention that Walker is in the race because Trump pushed his candidacy? It is good to see that Walker is urging people to actually vote in the coming election.

Also relevant is an October 4, 2021 AJC story finally breaking the news that some pro-enforcement Georgia Republicans are not happy with the betrayal by Gov Brian Kemp. A large metro-Atlanta area county GOP group censured the Republican Governor for, among other things, ignoring his detailed 2018 campaign promises on illegal immigration.

The agenda-driven AJC editors headline described Kemp’s pledge to go after “criminal illegals” and sanctuary cities as being “anti-immigration.” It helps outsiders understanding of “news” in Atlanta to know that the AJC served as dinner Chair for a MALDEF fundraiser here.

We are desperately seeking pro-enforcement candidates for the U.S. Senate and governor – and refer to our GOP-ruled state as ‘Georgiafornia.’