This is a column of opinion and analysis by 13WMAZ's Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Randall Savage.
Less than a week before Georgia voters choose a Republican gubernatorial nominee, the fourth-place finisher in the GOP sweepstakes continues his crusade to dethrone the front runner.
Clay Tippins, a former Navy Seal and current business owner, has been touring the state attempting to portray Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle as a shifty politician who'll change positions on long-held issues if Cagle thinks it'll benefit his chances of winning.
Cagle led the ticket in the May 22 GOP primary. Secretary of State Brian Kemp finished second. They meet Tuesday in the runoff. The winner will face Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams in the November general election.
Tippins bases his concerns on an issue that began during the Georgia General Assembly's 2017 legislative session. Lawmakers approved House Bill 217 in the House, but it didn't make it through the Senate last year.
The bill would raise the cap on tax credits for private schools from $58 million to $100 million dollars. Cagle originally opposed the bill, indicating he would favor lowering the credits below the $58 million.
At the time, state Sen. Lindsey Tippins chaired the Senate Education Committee. Lindsey Tippins is Clay Tippins' uncle.
During this year's legislative session, HB-217 began moving in the Senate. Clay Tippins said Cagle switched his position after the Waltons Foundation, strong charter shool advocates, made it known that the foundation was preparing to pump up to $3 million in the gubernatorial campaign.
Clay Tippins said Cagle told Sen. Tippins that he wanted the bill passed in the Senate. If Cagle couldn't get it done, the foundation would donate the money to former Sen. Hunter Hill, who finished third in the May 22 primary.
According to Clay Tippins, his uncle refused to participate in the switch and ended up resigning his position as chair of the Education Committee. The bill passed on the last day of the 2018 legislative session.
With that in mind, Clay Tippins arranged a meeting with Cagle to discuss the issue. Cagle, according to Tippins, called him after the primary votes were tallied May 22 and asked Tippins to support him in the runoff.
Unknown to Cagle, Tippins said he rigged his cell phone where he could record the entire conversation with Cagle. Among other things, Tippins said Cagle acknowledged that he pushed bad education policy for political purposes.
Cagle feared a $3 million donation to Hill would improve Hill's chances in the primary, Tippins said.
"That's a conversation I think ought to belong to 10 million Georgians," said Tippins, acknowledging that he supports Kemp in the GOP runoff.
"We sit here and complain about it (political posturing) and no one does anything about it," Tippins said. "I decided I wanted to do what it takes to bring some transparency and try to clean up the mess."
The Cagle campaign didn't respond to our request for comment. But since Tippins disclosed parts of his recorded comments, Cagle has said he didn't think the bill was perfect but was standing by his commitment to expand school choice.
Tippins doesn't regret his secret recording of his conversation with Cagle. But Tippins said he will not disclose the entire conversation.
