After the New York Times’ bombshell report yesterday that unelected “political mega-donor” Senator Kelly Loeffler took a lucrative compensation package from her former employer as she left for the Senate, Loeffler was forced to resign from the subcommittee that made her “an overseer of the overseers of the company that made her rich” — months after ethics experts raised alarms over Loeffler’s “utterly irresponsible” and “super swampy” conflicts of interest. Loeffler is still serving on the full Senate Agriculture Committee, which also has oversight of her business interests’ regulator and had prompted initial ethics red flags months ago.
Now, Loeffler’s flailing bid took another devastating blow today as former GOP Congresswoman Karen Handel endorsed Loeffler’s opponent, Trump ally Congressman Doug Collins. Handel became the latest Georgia Republican to “break ranks” with Governor Brian Kemp and his handpicked appointee as Loeffler continues to bleed support from conservatives. Her spiraling stock trade scandal and ethical conflicts of interest have made Loeffler a “major political liability” for Georgia Republicans, and now the unelected senator is “fighting for her political life” as her appointment is looking increasingly like a “major strategic miscalculation.”
See some of the most recent damaging coverage for Loeffler:
Fox5 Atlanta: “Georgia senator Kelly Loeffler has asked to be removed from a Senate subcommittee to avoid additional insider trading accusations.”
WTOC11 Savannah: “Loeffler’s leaving one of her committee assignments. She has been battling a scandal for months now, after it was revealed she and her husband sold off stocks at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.”
New York Times: Loeffler Got Lucrative Parting Gift From Public Company en Route to the Senate
POLITICO: Loeffler recuses herself from Agriculture panel, distancing herself from stocks issue
AJC: Karen Handel backs Doug Collins’ bid for US Senate
AJC: The Jolt: One by one, Kelly Loeffler’s advantages are disappearing
AJC: Kelly Loeffler faces new controversy about her pre-Senate payout
Business Insider: Loeffler reportedly got $9 million from company as she left for Senate
Washington Examiner: Loeffler cashed in on $9 million payout when she left husband’s company
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