Stafford Arrest Adds to Scrutiny of Collins Campaign
Photos of Mike Collins alongside Andre Stafford have put fresh attention on the Georgia Republican’s campaign as he seeks to unseat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Stafford, a candidate for the state House and a volunteer campaign leader for Collins, was arrested after an alleged incident involving a girl under 16 near a school bus stop in Smyrna on October 15.
Police say Stafford approached the girl in his car, complimented her and exposed himself. He was charged and released on $25,000 bond. Stafford denies wrongdoing and says he intends to remain in the state House race. Collins’ spokesperson said Stafford had volunteered for several campaigns and that, if the charges are true, he should face prison.
Collins’ campaign had publicly praised Stafford’s work as a convoy captain in Cobb County. Stafford also said Collins endorsed his candidacy. Other Georgia Republicans, including House candidate Houston Gaines and gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson, were photographed with Stafford before the arrest; representatives for both said the candidates had no personal or professional relationship with him. Conservative activist Debbie Dooley called Stafford a close Collins ally before his arrest.
The episode follows scrutiny of other people connected to Collins’ campaign. Former campaign leader Brett Benny Langham pleaded guilty in 2014 to child cruelty and other charges involving his stepdaughter, court records show. Two other campaign leaders had ties to American Patriots USA, an organization established by a past leader of the Ku Klux Klan and the neo-Nazi movement; one denied that he was racist and said the group was not a hate group during his time there. Ossoff has urged Collins to end the convoy-captain program, saying it has brought dishonor to Georgia.
Collins’ Campaign Allies Raise Questions About His Crime Message
A candidate who says he is tough on crime must answer for the people he elevates in his campaign. Mike Collins’ public praise of Andre Stafford as a convoy captain is now under scrutiny after Stafford’s arrest over an alleged incident involving a girl under 16 in Smyrna on October 15.
Police say Stafford approached the girl near her school bus stop, complimented her and exposed himself. He denies the allegations, was released on $25,000 bond and says he plans to continue his campaign for the state House. Collins’ spokesperson said Stafford volunteered for several campaigns and should go to prison if the charges are true.
The concern is not limited to one arrest. Former Collins campaign leader Brett Benny Langham pleaded guilty in 2014 to child cruelty and other offenses involving his stepdaughter. Two other campaign leaders had links to American Patriots USA, established by a past leader of the Ku Klux Klan and the neo-Nazi movement. Collins’ campaign has presented its convoy captains as a statewide grassroots strength; the record of people in that network makes that boast a liability.
Ossoff has called on Collins to shut down the program, saying its leaders brought dishonor to Georgia. Collins’ campaign must confront why people with these histories and allegations were given prominent roles, rather than treating each revelation as an isolated embarrassment.
Arrest Allegations Put Collins’ Campaign Network Under a Microscope
A criminal accusation is not a conviction, and Andre Stafford says he is innocent. But his arrest has handed Democrats another opening to attack Mike Collins, the Republican seeking to unseat Jon Ossoff in Georgia’s Senate race.
Police allege Stafford approached a girl under 16 near a school bus stop in Smyrna on October 15, complimented her and exposed himself. He was released on $25,000 bond and says he will remain in his state House race. Collins’ spokesperson condemned the allegations conditionally, saying Stafford should be imprisoned if they are true.
Collins had praised Stafford’s work as a convoy captain, and Stafford said Collins endorsed his candidacy. Photos also showed Stafford with other Republican candidates, but representatives for Houston Gaines and Rick Jackson said their candidates had no personal or professional ties to him. Being photographed at political events does not itself establish a relationship or responsibility for another person’s alleged conduct.
Democrats are using the episode to demand that Collins end his volunteer program, while pointing to other people who have been connected to his campaign. That criticism should be weighed against the facts of each case: Stafford denies the charges, and the other candidates’ representatives have rejected claims of personal or professional ties to him. Collins’ campaign says Stafford volunteered for many campaigns across Georgia.
Reported by The Daily Beast, Raw Story.
