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Stolen Valor: GA state Senator Shawn Still does not want to talk about his false claim of being a military veteran

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State Sen. Shawn Still. (Twitter/X)

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“Tori, don’t, don’t ever say that to me again. I am too. I’ve served proudly, and you don’t need to throw that in my face.” Republican state Senator Shawn Still on veteran status to Senate District 20 Republican Primary candidate and former U.S. Marine Tori Branum in a recorded May, 2024 telephone conversation.

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In several May, 2024 posts, we focused on a claim by Georgia state Senator Shawn Still (R- Norcross) that he is a military veteran. He isn’t.

GA Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R), President of the Senate.

While the political right correctly goes after Democrat Tim Walz for his shameless stolen valor remarks, as far as we can see there is silence from Georgia Republicans on Shawn Still. That includes Georgia Republican Party leadership, Georgia’s Gov. Brian Kemp, the president of the Senate, Lt, Governor Burt Jones, Still’s Senate colleagues and Republican voters – even voters in Still’s home district in Gwinnett County.

You can read about Freshman Sen. Shawn Still here and here and here. There is a lot more information linked into the posts.

Shawn Still Senate bio here.

 

For political insiders who do more than read “the news” it may help to explain Senator Still’s approach to policy by pointing out he was named the 2023 Freshman Senator of the Year by the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. That reminds us: Don’t forget to remember the date of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce 2024 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit.

Heads up: Still has made it clear to this writer that he does not want to talk about the stolen valor topic.

SMH

 

Media request sent to GA state Senator Shawn Still today – updated with reply – #SenateDistrict20

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Update: 9:45 May 13: Senator Still was kind enough to reply about 5:15 PM today. That response is pasted on the bottom. He now says he is not a veteran.

I will have more to say about this matter in the coming days. This installment should be regarded as “Part one.”

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The below media request was sent to Senator Still via email to his official Senate address, his Senate assistant’s address and via text message at 11:43AM today.

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Senator Still,

I plan to write an educational opinion column focused on the facts surrounding your March 5 request to Tori Branum to call you and the ensuing phone conversation in which you inform Branum of your veteran status. As a recording of part of that conversation indicates, you informed Ms. Branum that you were a veteran and “served proudly.”
 
Excerpt:
 
Tori Branum:

“Right, and they’re gonna know me by the time I get done. They’re gonna know me by the time I get done, and if I lose, that’s fine. Hey, it’s practice. But as an American veteran, I have a right to run for office in my country.”

Shawn Still:

“Tori, don’t, don’t ever say that to me again. I am too. I’ve served proudly, and you don’t need to throw that in my face.”

As you likely know, Branum was an active duty U.S. Marine for eight years who attained the rank of Sergeant with an honorable discharge. According to Branum, she is a disabled veteran (70% disability).

As part of a larger piece on Sen. Larry Walker’s reelection campaign and your involvement with Walker and Branum in that contest, my effort here is to gather information on your military experience. To insure accuracy and fairness in my write up, will you kindly tell me in which branch of the U.S. military you served, your first date of active duty service, last day of active service, pay grade/rank upon separation and MOS (Military Occupational Specialty)?

I am hopeful that I can clear up confusion caused by the statements you apparently made to Branum versus the statements you have posted on the your shawnstill.com website in which you seem to explain that “the end of the Cold War” in 1989 -1990 and Bill Clinton’s election to the presidency in 1992 somehow prevented you from becoming a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.

Excerpt:

“STATE SENATOR SHAWN STILL WAS RAISED IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, BY A SINGLE MOM WORKING FOR THE U. S. NAVY. “He attended the University of Alabama as a swimmer and U. S. Air Force ROTC cadet. Diploma in hand and preparing to attend flight school, the end of the Cold War and the election of President Bill Clinton abruptly cancelled Shawn’s plans along with those of most other would-be second lieutenants in the USAF. As a result, he pursued a variety of civilian careers ranging from whitewater raft guide on the Nantahala River to Vice President of Home Healthcare for a national company. The healthcare industry brought him to Atlanta in 1998.”

My deadline is noon, Wednesday, May 15. In addition to my own widely read blog, I write on the statewide, subscription outlet James’s Magazine Online, in various Georgia newspapers, the Washington Times and The Federalist.

I would be grateful for your input and any further information you want to offer that may be relevant to the above.

Thank you in advance for your attention and reply to this request,

D.A. King

Marietta

ImmigrationPoliticsGA.com

The Dustin Inman Society

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Response from Senator Still:

(in response to a follow up question from here, Still informed me that he graduated from the University of Alabama in May, 1994).

Note: The embedded links are mine.

“DA,

there were things I did out of uniform in which I served our country proudly as a GS employee assigned to NAVSTA Mayport and at sea on several different warships in the 1990s. Not everyone who served our country during the Cold War wore a uniform.

While I didn’t go active duty as an officer after this GS position, I am firm in my belief that I did a great deal of good while there. I will not speak about those details on my website or in an interview.

This is the only statement that I will ever offer about my time in that role.

Considering your background as a Marine, I appreciate that you asked me for clarification and trust that you understand my position on this and cannot speak publicly about anything else I did during that time.”

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GA Republican Senate PAC Spent $23K to defeat a Primary Challenger — Dual Enrollment Now “An Issue” In a Runoff #ShawnStill

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“Republicans under the Gold Dome don’t like to talk about Dual Enrollment because it illustrates the ongoing effort to reward and encourage illegal immigration in Georgia. It is not clear if Laken Riley’s family knows about this gem.”

A previous topic in this space concerned a Republican Primary election contest in Middle Georgia’s 20th Senate District between incumbent Larry Walker and challenger Tori Branum. Readers may remember that the story involved another state Senator, Shawn Still (R- Norcross) trying to convince U.S. Marine Corps veteran Branum to drop out of the race while claiming to be a veteran himself. After this writer asked Sen. Still about his time in the service he admitted that he was never really in the military.

Senator Shawn Still (R- Norcross)

We also explained that Still told Branum she should abandon her challenge to Walker because Walker ran the Republican Senate caucus PAC – incorporated as ‘Peach State Values Inc.” I reported that control of the PAC changed from Walker to another senator (Matt Brass, R- Newnan) a few days before scathing campaign ads from the PAC went out to voters attacking Branum’s character.

Peach State Values alleged that Branum has a “criminal record.” She says that’s not true. The Walker camp has yet to offer any record of any conviction – or an apology. The slogan at Peach State Values Inc. is “promoting the values that make Georgia great.“

Tori Branum says state officials should address illegal immigration in Georgia. Walker says it’s up to President Joe Biden.

Sen. Larry Walker (R-Perry)

Walker won the Primary.

Branum, a first-time candidate, campaigned for a mere ten weeks and received an impressive 23% of the votes. She says she is anxious to try again in 2026. We hope she does. Better government comes about from many methods, none more impactful than incumbents having viable Primary challengers – it should happen in every election.

The word around the Capitol is that Sen. Larry Walker may run for Secretary of State in 2026.

How badly did the Republican Senate Caucus PAC want to keep Ms. Branum out of the state Senate?  Peach State Values Inc. spent $23,611 in opposition to Tori Branum in the May Primary according to state records. As I wrote last time, the state salary for a Senator is $23,341.00 according to BallotPedia.org.

I am still digesting official records on this caper, but for those who are wondering from where the Republican Senator’s Peach State Values PAC gets the funding to oppose Republican challengers, I point to something called the ‘Georgia Republican Senatorial Committee Inc.’ – yes, it’s another GOP Senate PAC. State records show that the latter sent $50,000 to the former in 2020 and $100,000 in 2022.

I am still learning about the system and waiting for more recent numbers, but even for this two-decade denizen of the Gold Dome, this new-to-me knowledge creates an irresistible desire to take a long shower.

A Primary race and Dual Enrollment in Coastal Georgia

Speaking of Republican Primary races, the House District 180 runoff contest in Coastal Georgia (Camden and south Glynn counties) between Incumbent Rep. Steven Sainz and challenger Glenn Cook has created some statewide interest for pro-enforcement conservatives, including this writer.

I have minimal experience with Sainz but can offer that after I had written about the fact that illegal aliens are not excluded from Georgia’s Dual Enrollment program, he informed me in January that he had a bill “ready to go” to reform the system.

What is Dual Enrollment? Run on the premise that giving high school students a jump on a college education helps with “expanding the workforce”, the Dual Enrollment program puts the students – illegal aliens included – in zero cost (not even books and fees) college classes courtesy of Georgia taxpayers. From the Georgia Dept of Education website:

“Dual Enrollment ​is designed to prepare students for college and career opportunities leading students to postsecondary institutions for an industry recognized certification or lic​ensure, an associate and/or higher college ​​​degree, and successful employment.”

Here, it should be noted that federal law creates criminal penalties for employment of illegal aliens. 

Republicans under the Gold Dome don’t like to talk about Dual Enrollment because it illustrates the ongoing effort to reward and encourage illegal immigration in Georgia. It is not clear if Laken Riley’s family knows about this gem.

Rep Sainz eventually dropped a bill aimed at Dual Enrollment in late March, just before the end of the 2024 session and long after it had any chance of passage.

My long-time friend and Camden County Republican Bob Trent has endorsed Glenn Cook in this race and says that Cook has committed to reforming the Dual Enrollment mess.

Bob is a retired Senior Special Agent of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (US INS). He spent ten years as a uniformed Border Patrol agent. His final assignment was as the Assistant Director, Enforcement Training, U.S. Immigration Officer Academy, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, GA.

Trent has cut a video in support of Cook.

It appears that at least for now, Dual Enrollment is “an issue” in a Georgia election.

A version of the above column was also published in The Islander newspaper in Glynn County, GA. on June 3, 2024.

#LarryWalker #ShawnStill #PeachStateValues #GASenateRepublicans

More on the Republican-Ruled GA Senate Swamp: Integrity Free Campaign Attacks on a (genuine) Military Veteran GOP Senate Candidate — Updated #LarryWalker #ShawnStill #SB354

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  • Update: Sen.Larry Walker prevailed in the Primary Election. Tori Branum garnered 23% of the total votes cast. Sen. Shawn Still has not apologized for misrepresenting a record of service in the military. Peach State Values spent $23K to defeat Branum. Walker is rumored to be considering a run for Georgia Secretary of State in 2026. Details here.

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A Republican state Senator back tracks on veteran status, another Republican state Senator and candidate for reelection removes his name from positions on a political PAC just before a former U.S. Marine candidate for the GA Senate office is falsely smeared by the same PAC: Senate District 20.

Georgians who want some insight into some integrity-free political shenanigans involved in state legislative campaigns should consider the GOP Primary race in southern Middle Georgia’s Senate District 20.

Elected in 2015 2014, Senator Larry Walker III (R- Perry) is the incumbent and is quite willing to prove his determination to keep the job. Readers may remember Walker from March when the General Assembly passed one of his anti-enforcement, business-first, “we need more workers!” bills, SB 354. Because it dismantles the existing immigration check involved in occupational licensing for some low skilled jobs in Georgia, this writer worked unsuccessfully to see that measure vetoed.

Sen. Larry Walker (R-Perry)

Larry Walker has a primary opponent in Ms. Tori Branum, a U.S. Marine for eight years with an honorable discharge and who is a now single mother. Two of Branum’s kids are military veterans. A marksmanship instructor when she was on active duty in the Marines, Branum owns and operates ‘Middle Georgia Female Firearms training’ and lives in Dublin, GA.

Tori Branum (R)

Branum would make a terrific conservative Republican state senator. She is pro-enforcement on immigration. She says she would not have voted for SB 354.

Dedicated county GOP leaders often urge ordinary citizens to run for office. Apparently that desire does not extend to everyone in the Republican state Senate caucus. At least one Senator, Shawn Still (R – Norcross) spent considerable time on a March 5 phone call with Branum trying to convince her to drop out of the race against his pal Larry Walker.

At one point in that recorded and online-posted conversation, Still tells Branum that her campaign quest is akin to a “Kamikaze run” because Walker runs the GOP senate caucus PAC. Branum explains to Still that  “…as an American veteran, I have a right to run for office in my country.” Still quickly shot back with what sounds a lot like a direct order: “Tori, don’t, don’t ever say that to me again. I am too. I’ve served proudly, and you don’t need to throw that in my face.”

Still’s claim to past military service caught my ear because I had already read his short bio on the “about Shawn” page of his ‘shawnstill.com’ campaign website. There, Still informs voters that “he attended the University of Alabama as a swimmer and U. S. Air Force ROTC cadet. Diploma in hand and preparing to attend flight school, the end of the Cold War and the election of President Bill Clinton abruptly cancelled Shawn’s plans along with those of most other would-be second lieutenants in the USAF. As a result, he pursued a variety of civilian careers…”

Senator Shawn Still (R-Norcross).

Unable to imagine how the end of the Cold War in 1989-ish and the election of Bill Clinton to the presidency in 1992 could have possibly stopped Shawn Still from becoming an Air Force officer, I asked him for clarification. In his reply he backtracked and explained that he was really never in the military. He is not a veteran. His full response is posted on my blog. As I write, USMC veteran Tori Branum has not received an apology from Republican state Senator Shawn Still.

In 2018, Larry Walker, the District 20 Republican state Senator, registered the Peach State Values Inc. with the GA Secretary of State – it’s a PAC and is known to send scathing, semi-accurate mailers and Facebook ads during the election season aimed at various candidates – including fellow Republicans – for legislative office. From its inception six years ago, Walker was listed as the CEO, COO and Secretary of The Peach State Values Inc. That changed on April 30th, 2024 when an amended annual report was filed with the SoS office that showed a transfer of those corporate positions to another Republican state Senator, Matt Brass of Newnan.

At least one of the Peach State Values PAC Facebook campaign ads went out in early May aimed at the Senate District 20 race. It was a smear directed at Tori Branum stating that she has a “criminal record.” She doesn’t. You can see a screen shot of that smear on the Dustin Inman Society website.

 Republicans who want to clean out the increasingly odiferous state Senate swamp should be asking why Walker and Brass arranged to replace Walker on the official corporate record at the Secretary of State office.

Senator Matt Brass (R-Newnan)

I asked them both. Walker told me to ask Brass. Brass did not reply.

It could be that it is a violation of campaign finance laws for a PAC to coordinate with a political campaign.

Campaign finance is not this writer’s area of expertise, but the complaint I will file against Walker and Brass for coordinating and strategizing to smear Tori Branum and promote Walkers reelection with their PAC will cite OCGA 21-5-3(15) that I found on page 2, here.

According to Ballotpedia the annual state legislative base salary is $23,341.72  plus a per diem of $247 during the legislative session.

There is more to this story of the merciless attacks from the Larry Walker camp on Tori Branum. Space does not allow me to expand but readers and voters should be asking what drives Larry Walker and his Senate pals to so dishonestly attack an honest, pro-enforcement fellow Republican challenger.

We don’t think it’s the state salary that comes with the office.

Another immigration expert on SB 233, “school choice” & illegal aliens – Robert Trent in the Brunswick News #GregDolezal

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Note: Letter writer Bob Trent is a retired Senior Special Agent of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (USINS). He served on metropolitan area drug, and organized crime task forces for many years and supervised special agents assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force. In addition, he spent ten years as a uniformed border patrol agent assigned to both the northern and southern borders. Bob’s final assignment was as the Assistant Director, Enforcement Training, U.S. Immigration Officer Academy, Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Glynco, GA. Bob is an old friend here. And, as we repeatedly predicted, a federal judge has launched a blistering attack on the Biden administration’s outrageous border parole scam while finding it unlawful.
 * What is the role of “parents” in SB 223? See here.
* See the list of bill sponsors below the letter published today.
dak.
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Brunswick News

Letters to the editor

Saturday, March 11, 2023

“Pro-borders, conservative voters should watch state Sen. Mike Hodges regarding illegal immigration. Georgia is already home to more illegals than Arizona.

Hodges doesn’t seem to understand that rewarding illegals with new state benefits isn’t an effective method of deterring the illegal migration into our state. “Exhibit A” for that case is Hodges’ March 6 vote under the Gold Dome for passage of SB 233, billed as “school choice” legislation that will provide a new annual state grant of $6,000 per year to Georgia families for private school tuition.

Amazing but true: the bill does not exclude illegal alien parents from the administration process that begins only when parents file an application with the state for the payments.

“Parents” include a “legal guardian, custodian, or other person with legal authority to act on behalf of the student.” The bill also authorizes “parents” to be part of an oversight committee that has authority to decide on eligible expenses in the use of state funds.

Repeat: There is no requirement that the “parents” be in the U.S. lawfully.

The bill also includes language saying the students attending private school at taxpayer expense can be formerly “inadmissible aliens” who were illegally granted “parole” by the Biden administration.

Parole does not confer lawful immigration status. Twenty states are suing the Biden administration to overturn this violation of our immigration laws.

Hodges went along with the herd. All senate Republicans voted to pass the bill. We should watch the GOP House members.”

Robert Trent

St. Marys (here)

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SB 233 sponsors

No.Number in list Name District
1. Dolezal, Greg 27th
2. Brass, Matt 28th
3. Still, Shawn 48th
4. Moore, Colton 53rd
5. Setzler, Ed 37th
6. Gooch, Steve 51st
7. Kennedy, John 18th
8. Watson, Ben 1st

Georgia’s Immigration Enforcement Review Board – timeline of term overstays of board members IERB

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Image: Bilstabong

 

Immigration Enforcement Review Board (IERB) established in OCGA 50-36-3 (2011, HB87)

The seven original IERB members were appointed between July and Sept. 2, 2011.

State law is clear that members are limited to two terms of two years per term.

OCGA 50-36-3 (b) The Immigration Enforcement Review Board is established and shall consist of seven members. Three members shall be appointed by the Governor, two members shall be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor, and two members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives. A chairperson shall be selected by a majority vote of the members. All matters before the board shall be determined by a majority vote of qualified board members. Members shall be appointed for terms of two years and shall continue to hold such position until their successors are duly appointed and qualified. A member may be reappointed to an additional term. If a vacancy occurs in the membership of the board, the appropriate appointing party shall appoint a successor for the remainder of the unexpired term and until a successor is appointed and qualified.

Appointed by Gov. Deal: Phil Kent, Shawn Hanley and Ben Vinson
Appointed by Lt. Gov Cagle: Boyd Austin, Mike Yeager
Appointed by Speaker Ralston: Robert Mumford, Terry Clark.

With the end of the first term, original members still on the IERB should have been reappointed in July and Sept. 2013 – with the end of that term being July/Sept. 2015. With the exception of the Speaker’s office on the reappointment of Terry Clark, it appears that none of the three offices that made the original appointments can produce any paperwork reflecting any reappointments. After a request for public records, Cagle’s office claimed exclusion from open records laws due to being part of the legislature.

Lt. Governor is an executive branch office under the state constitution.

Without being legally reappointed and without authority, members Kent, Hanley, Vinson, Yeager and Clark served well beyond the end of the four year limitation. As of December 29, 2018 Clark is still serving.

Ben Vinson resigned IERB sometime in June of July, 2017 after being appointed to the State Board of worker’s Compensation by Gov. Deal. In violation of state law, Vinson was active as IERB Chair from Sept. 2015 to the date of his resignation.

Shawn Hanley and Phil Kent both resigned in August 2018 when the term limit violation was made public.

In the same report linked above, it looks like the AG is staying far away from the entire matter.

IERB member John Kennedy was appointed in January 2013 after Robert Mumford resigned to become a judge. Kennedy won election to the state senate and James Balli was appointed to replace him by Speaker Ralston in Feb. 2014. The appointment letter specifically states Balli’s appointment would end in July 2015 or “until a successor is duly appointed.”

That would mean Balli’s two term limit would end in July 2017 – if he was duly reappointed. Public records of any such reappointment have not been produced.

* It could be that Balli will claim he was appointed to finish Kennedy’s term and could lawfully serve two terms of his own. I assert that argument is contrary to the language and intent of OCGA 50-36-3.

With this line of thinking: Mumford’s first term ended in Sept. 2013, Kennedy would have finished that term in 2015, but was replaced by Balli who was appointed in Feb 2014. Again, the Balli appointment letter states his term ends in 2015 or until a lawful reappointment or a successor appointment.

Reappointment of Balli would expire in 2017 – if he was duly reappointed.

Regardless of the question on Balli’s reappointment or his merely finishing another member’s term, because of the fact that that members Kent, Vinson, Hanley and Clark served and voted without authority after Sept. 2015, it is my position that any actions taken after Sept. 2015, including sanctions, complaint dismissals and board votes were done in violation of state law and are thereby null and void.