Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has scheduled a press conference Thursday alongside state Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey to update the public about their efforts to combat COVID-19.
This, according to a press release that members of Kemp’s office emailed on Wednesday.
Kemp and Toomey are scheduled to hold the press conference at 11 a.m., Thursday at the North Wing of the Georgia State Capitol. The press release provided no other details.
Kemp announced this month that he will spend $5.8 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds — taxpayer money — on the state’s tourism industry. Kemp will give the COVID-19 relief money to Explore Georgia, which is the tourism division of the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDED). This, despite Kemp saying that Georgia’s tourism industry made gains this past year. Georgia officials announced last month that economic development projects throughout the state during the fiscal year 2021 delivered record-setting jobs and investments.
Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan (R-Cumming), and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger reportedly accepted generous campaign donations from a medical company that got a $434 million no-bid contract with the state to help fight COVID-19. The medical company, Jackson Healthcare, is based in Alpharetta, according to its website.
Kemp delivered an optimistic State of the State address in January and proposed what he said were new ways for state officials to invest taxpayer money to counteract the effects of COVID-19. At one point in his speech, the governor apparently referred to the November 2020 presidential elections and alleged voter fraud and other alleged voter irregularities.
“As we begin a new year, a new legislative session, there are some who want to look to the past, assign blame, settle old scores, and relive and relitigate 2020,” Kemp told state legislators at the time.
Kemp said Georgia must overcome “ridiculous and harmful conspiracies.” He said Georgia’s top priority now is fighting COVID-19.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Brian Kemp” by Brian Kemp.
