Casey Cagle decided to raise taxes this past 2010 legislative session. Cagle/s backed the Hospital Bed Tax, also dubbed the “sick tax,” but his fellow Republicans did not want to fall in line and stood up against Cagle’s demands. Preston Smith was one of those Republicans who didn’t vote the way Cagle wanted, Mitch Seabaugh and Jeff Chapman are the other two. Cagle forced the resignation of Preston Smith as the chair of the Judiciary committee and Mitch Seabaugh as Senate Whip.
This heavy handed approach where Cagle is blackmailing legislators with committee positions or threatening to take them away is undemocratic and shameful behavior from any elected official. Cagle does not respect legislators who went to the Capitol to represent their districts and constituents, not Cagle’s personal agenda (whose decisions may be influenced by those who know his Capitol indiscretions).
Casey Cagle has been called unethical, an adulterer, and corrupt. As a Georgian and a political observer, I sought out exactly what it was that Cagle has done that is just so bad. Here is the information I have been able to gather that I think voters should be aware of when they head to the polls on Nov. 2nd
Casey Cagle, Elizabeth Dewberry and Eric Johnson:
Cagle has had a long standing affair with Elizabeth Dewberry. The couple met on the campaign trail when she was his campaign manager. After he won, she continued closely working with Cagle in his office until August 2008. Her departure from Cagle's staff had to do with the fact that this couple was caught in the act at the Capitol in Cagle’s office by a secretary, Laurie Sparks. Dewberry claimed she was “tying Casey’s shoes” under his desk. A report was filed with the, then Chairman of the Ethics committee, by the secretary. The Chairman at the time was Eric Johnson. Eric Johnson held onto the complaint without making Cagle go before the committee. Cagle had already announced his bid for Governor and was considered the front runner with over a million dollars in the bank. Then, to everyone’s surprise, Cagle announces he is dropping out of the race in August 2009 because of a severe degenerative spinal disorder which would leave him unable to campaign for Governor as it is a statewide race and he will be recovering. Nevermind that the Lt. Governor’s office is a statewide race too. Eric Johnson, within days after Cagle drops out of the race, announces his bid for Governor. Cagle’s spinal injury cleared up sure enough so that he could run the 2010 Peachtree Road Race and his statewide campaign. As for Dewberry, Cagle landed her a job at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to stop the hemorrhage of stories surfacing about the couple. The secretary still works at the Capitol and is rumored to fear retribution from Cagle if she speaks out, which of course would be completely illegal for Cagle or his staff to do, but not beneath them for sure.
Recently, another tryst involving female staff members occurred in the 2009 legislative session. The scuffle that ensued ended when the police broke up the fight. Apparently, one young intern who was sleeping with Cagle found out that another staff member was riding the Cagle Express too. An open records request was recently filed seeking information on the incident, which Cagle’s office has subsequently ignored. Instead of thinking about education or jobs, Cagle was engaging in sexual relations with two young female members of his office which allegedly ended in a “Cheaters” style brawl that was only broken up when the police were involved.
Cagle, like Richardson, was using the gold dome as his own sexual playground. Richardson was the former Speaker of the House who was having an affair with a lobbyist before he had a nervous breakdown. You can read more about the similarities between Cagle and Richardson here. It could be argued that Richardson was at least showing remorse for his behavior.
Cagle by making these terrible decisions has opened himself up to blackmail, which he seems susceptible to, this is a very scary thing for Georgia.
As a man that has run on his God fearing principals, one has to wonder exactly what church he was attending (maybe the same as his former opponent Ralph Reed). I am sick of the Capitol in Georgia being used for inappropriate behavior. I am sick of our politicians acting in a manner that does not gain respect for Georgia as a whole. I am sick of my tax dollars being used inappropriately by our elected officials who are supposed to be public servants, not have them.
On November 2nd please vote against Casey Cagle. There are two other candidates in the race Dan Barber (L) and Carol Porter (D) a vote for either is a step in the right direction. If you believe those two people are inadequate for your vote than I ask you write in a candidate who you feel is the right choice for the job, but it is clear that we must move away from the scandals and unethical decisions of the Richardson and Cagle era and move toward a better choice for all of Georgia.
