Category: Media & Journalism

The narrative put forth in the article titled “Forward Focus: Mayor Anthony S. Ford on the Future of Stockbridge and the $32 Million Question” attempts to paint a portrait of steady governance and immediate financial remediation. Yet, an examination of public records, independent audits, and statements to council from staff reveals that the message of transparency disseminated by the Mayor is contradicted by systemic financial dysfunction, repeated administrative failures, and troubling entanglements between the administration and its chosen media partners.

The Source of the Spin: A Network of Convenience

The source of the Mayor’s defense, Game Changers Media Network, operates less as an independent news outlet and more as a public relations conduit. Further investigation into the network reveals potential conflicts of interest reaching directly into City Hall.

According to Georgia Real Estate Commission and Appraisers Board records dated October 20, 2025, Tabitha Jamison Mallard, the proprietor’s wife of Game Changers Media Network (License #377757), maintains an Active Status Salesperson license at METRO BROKERS INC. Crucially, this is the very same realty firm where Councilperson Elton Alexander holds his own Active Status Salesperson license (License #373521). This connection places the Mayor’s chief media ally in shared professional orbit with a sitting council member.

Game Changers Media Network previously benefited from access related to the controversial VyStar Amphitheater. This is the same facility whose manager, Harold Young, was subsequently terminated amid the financial maelstrom. Public allegations and Finance Director Frank Milazi’s last appearance before council assert that no competitive sealed bid process was conducted for vendors or naming rights for the Amphitheater from 2021 through 2024, despite city requirements for procurements over $50,000 to be bid on, and despite Georgia State procurement law stating any public works project over $100,000 must be bid in the Georgia Procurement Registry.

Click here for: The Unaudited Financial Report of the Fiscal Year Ending August 31, 2025 as presented by Mr. Milazi

Click here for: PDF transcript of Mr. Milazi’s September 30 Stockbridge City Council Budget Update & forthcoming amendment presentation

The Reckoning: Audit Findings vs. PR Claims

Mayor Ford contends that the $32 million issue was merely a “failure of process” that they “fixed,” assuring citizens that transfers between accounts “won’t happen again” and that “the books are corrected”. However, the detailed audit findings released publicly demonstrate that these “failures of process” were pervasive and persistent:

The city’s independent audits for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 have revealed persistent systemic financial weaknesses, with recurring fundamental failures identified repeatedly as “unresolved” from previous years (2011-2023). These serious deficiencies include repeated failure to properly capitalize millions in city assets, such as over $1.5 million in Amphitheater construction costs in 2022 alone, persistent mismanagement of receivable and revenue accounts, and chronic failures related to interfund activity.

Game Changer’s Media Networks story, published on September 30th, precedes the fac.gov 2024 Annual Financial Comprehensive Report published on October 7th. Here are my notes on the 2024 Financial Statement Findings and Questioned Costs.

• Revenue & Receivables Management (Finding 2024-001): Significant adjustments were required across multiple funds (General, ARPA, Grants, SPLOST V, Solid Waste, Conference Center, Hotel/Motel Tax) to correctly state revenue, receivables, unearned revenue and allowances for doubtful accounts. The total impact was substantial.
• Interfund Activity (Finding 2024-002): Interfund receivables, payables, and transfers were improperly stated requiring adjustments across many funds including General, ARPA, Grants, City-wide Capital Projects, Downtown Development, City-wide Development, Public Facilities Authority, Stormwater, Conference Center, Cemetery, SPLOST IV, and Urban Redevelopment.
• Prepaid Assets & Expenses (Finding 2024-003): Adjustments were needed in General, ARPA, City-wide Development, Water/Sewer, Stormwater, Solid Waste, Conference Center, Amphitheater, and Hotel/Motel Tax funds to properly record prepaid assets and expenses.
• Inventory (Finding 2024-004): The Water & Sewer Fund required an adjustment due to a lack of reconciliation between the general ledger and physical inventory counts.
• Amphitheater Expenditures (Finding 2024-006): Significant adjustments were needed to the General and Amphitheater Funds due to improper expenditure recording, lack of approvals, and missing supporting documentation. This was a major finding with large dollar amounts.
• Accrued Liabilities (Finding 2024-007): Adjustments were required in the SPLOST IV fund for improperly stated accrued liabilities.
• Depreciation (Finding 2024-008): Depreciation was incorrectly recorded in the General Fund, which is not appropriate under modified accrual accounting.
• Capitalization of Assets (Finding 2024-009): Capital items were excluded from capital asset details in both governmental and business-type activities.
• CSLFRF Reporting (Finding 2024-010): Multiple quarterly financial reports for the COVID-19 Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund Grants were submitted late.
• COPS Grant Reporting (Finding 2024-011): Multiple quarterly and semiannual reports for Public Safety Partnerships and Community Policing Grants were submitted late, improperly supported, or contained incorrect expenditure reporting.
• Prior Year Findings: Most of the findings from the 2023 audit (001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006) remain Unresolved or Partially Resolved as of December 31, 2024.
  
• Overall Cause: The root cause of nearly all findings is identified as Management Oversight.

The alleged accounting errors appear to have been instrumental in masking the Amphitheater’s staggering overruns, with practices identified specifically for concealing expenses by improperly shifting costs to unrelated funds, such as the “citywide projects” fund. Despite the Mayor’s assertion that the Amphitheater construction cost was “paid off” in August. As recently as the financial update at the Sep. 30 city council meeting, in the documents & video of Mr. Milazi above, the finance department acknowledged an upcoming budget amendment to cover a $1.6 million amphitheater shortfall for 2025, with only $1 million collected against its budgeted revenue of $2.6 million for the year. As previously discussed on this site there’s a plan to build the missing $390,000 sound booth. If you owe for $390,000 in construction on an unfinished project then the amphitheater, by no measure of logic, is payed off.

$390,000 Amphitheater Soundbooth Proposal

The scale of misinformation provided to elected officials prior to these 2022-2024 corrections was confirmed by the City’s current finance director. In a public statement on September 30, 2025, Mr. Milazi stated plainly that the council was relying on flawed data: “There were two sets of reports that were being made, and the reports that were being given to you to make wise decisions were not. So we misled you.”

Amphitheater as the economic driver of downtown

As Game Changer’s says “amphitheaters rarely mint profits, but they do fuel downtown restaurants, hotels, and small businesses.” And where they quote Mayor Ford as saying “Break-even is a win when you count the spillover.” The coming budget amendment for the amphitheater & the sound booth will be ~$2,000,000. You’ll have to judge for yourself whether 2 restaurants constitutes a “Break-even” cost.

The city’s own advisory firm, KBA wrote on page 46 in the Economic Development 2024 Update, “While partially due to the disconnect between the amphitheater and downtown retail, the absence of sustaining day-time and night-time users leaves a critical gap in revitalization efforts. Investment in Downtown Stockbridge should become more focused on activation and engagement with a renewed focus on “live-work” aspects. The city has made a promising step forward by incorporating municipal office space along Main Street. While the office market continues to evolve following the 2020 pandemic, attracting co-working or providing incubator spaces downtown can increase foot traffic and interest. Given the changing landscape of office users, increasing residential is a critical goal to realizing vibrancy in the heart of Stockbridge.”

The Price of Accountability: Departures in the Executive Office

The current administrative turmoil follows directly from the financial recklessness of previous management, a period characterized by reckless spending and a palpable fear of legal repercussions among staff. It was during a period of unbudgeted spending and improper fiscal activity that then-City Manager Frederick Gardiner warned the council about the severe consequences of their actions, cautioning against activity that could lead to legal action against him personally: “um as I mentioned to you guys at the last city council meeting Frederick don’t look good in jumpsuit I ain’t 6’5 350 LBS to fight so I ain’t going to jail.”

The city manager who publicly stated he wasn’t willing to risk incarceration for the city’s financial decisions, Frederick Gardiner, submitted the proposed FY 2025 budget memorandum dated November 4, 2024, but later departed the city’s employ. His departure occurred amidst a period of immense scrutiny, following his time in a management role that was seemingly caught between council demands and legal compliance.

The evidence suggests that the narrative of simple “process failure” is a gross understatement aimed at shielding the administration from accountability. The audit findings reveal ongoing operational neglect, and the public statements made by former and current staff highlight the severe consequences of operating outside legal and fiscal guardrails, consequences that ultimately drove leadership changes at the highest levels of the city. The facts, laid bare in the official record, stand in sharp contradiction to the public relations spin provided by the Mayor’s favored media outlet.

A more apt but still flawed comparison to reality.

Answering LaKeisha Gantt’s latest notion that, “Stockbridge isn’t Mayberry.” Yes. We know that already. We remember JJ Walker himself being on the amphitheater stage, because we remember paying him to be there.

I’ve been here since 1982 or so. Stockbridge wasn’t Mayberry back then either. I support the new school construction. I support building out the downtown. The truth is the city stood in the way of business downtown since 2004 with the Meeks eminent domain case. A city which, when black people came to power, continued right on with the same exact plans as the last group of people. If downtown is Mayberry, this council, and the last, and the last for 20 years have caused downtown to look tired and dated.

Neither J.J. Walker nor Sheriff Andy ever mentioned eminent domain, a de-annexation like Eagle’s Landing, a murder in the Mayor’s neighborhood, a serial killer at the Kroger, a spree killer in Hampton or a Sheriff going to prison the next county over. So, thank you. We know it’s not Mayberry or Good Times in the city of Stockbridge. It’s been a far sight worse than any of the old tropes from these boobtube towns of yesterday. The council moved on from Old Crackers, but the new ones are just a bunch of Jive Turkeys, ya’ dig…

(“boobtube” means TV, Gen Z, if you’re reading this.)

Dimension	Mayberry – The Andy Griffith Show (1960‑67)	Good Times – The Chicago Housing Project (1974‑79)
Geographic & Visual Setting	• A tiny, fictional town in the foothills of North Carolina. • Picturesque Main Street, a one‑room jail, a general store, a small schoolhouse and a church. • The visual palette is warm, pastel‑toned, almost story‑book like; everything feels “within walking distance.”	• A densely packed public housing project on the South Side of Chicago. • Brick walk‑ups, narrow alleys, concrete playgrounds, and an omnipresent city skyline in the background. • The color scheme is more muted, gritty, with occasional bursts of bright clothing that signal personal style amid a drab environment.
Population & Demographics	• Predominantly white, middle‑class, multigenerational families. • A stable, relatively homogenous citizenry where everybody knows each other’s name (and sometimes their business).	• Predominantly African‑American working‑class families. • Residents are a mix of single parents, extended kin networks and close friends who form a surrogate “family.”
Economic Base	• Agriculture, small‑scale local businesses (general store, barber shop), modest tourism (“Mayberry R.F.D.”). • Unemployment is rarely mentioned; most characters have steady, if modest, jobs.	• Limited formal employment opportunities. Many adult characters work low‑wage service or factory jobs, or are unemployed and rely on welfare. • The series foregrounds the struggle to make ends meet (e.g., “The Check” episode).
Social Structure & Governance	• A single sheriff (Andy Taylor) who doubles as de facto mayor and moral compass. • Town council meetings are informal; community decisions often happen over a cup of coffee at the diner.	• The housing authority, a building manager, and a few “community leaders” like James Evans (the father). • Decisions about rent, repairs, or community events are negotiated in the living‑room or at church gatherings.
Core Values & Moral Themes	• Emphasis on “good neighborliness,” personal responsibility, respect for authority, and a gentle sense of humor. • Episodes often end with a moral lesson delivered by Andy or Aunt Bee (e.g., honesty, humility).	• Emphasis on resilience, family solidarity, self‑respect, and confronting systemic injustice. • Moral lessons revolve around dignity in the face of poverty, standing up to racism, and maintaining hope despite adversity.
Family Dynamics	• The Taylor family is a nuclear unit: widowed sheriff Andy, teenage son Opie, occasional visits from Aunt Bee. • Extended kin appear occasionally (the barbershop’s “Uncle” characters).	• The Evans household is an extended family: James (father), Florida (mother), their three children, plus frequent help from relatives and neighbors (e.g., Willona Woods, J.J.). • The show frequently uses the “family as community” motif—neighbors step in as surrogate grandparents or aunts/uncles.
Cultural Representation	• Southern, small‑town American culture: church potlucks, county fairs, high school football, bluegrass music. • Stereotypical but affectionate portrayal of rural life; rarely addresses race relations directly (the town is almost exclusively white).	• Urban African‑American culture in the 1970s: soul and funk music, church gospel choirs, “Saturday night live” social gatherings, barbershop talk. • The series confronts racism, housing discrimination, police profiling, and class inequities head‑on.
Conflict Sources	• Minor misunderstandings, small crimes (e.g., a lost horse), teenage mischief, occasional “outsider” troublemakers who need to be re‑integrated into the community.	• Systemic poverty, landlord/authority abuse, job loss, racial discrimination, health crises (e.g., asthma in crowded apartments).
Narrative Tone	• Light‑hearted, episodic, “feel‑good” with a gentle comedic undercurrent; the world is largely safe and solvable within 30 minutes.	• More dramatic, often bittersweet; humor is used as a coping mechanism but the stakes (eviction, unemployment) feel more urgent.
Legacy & Cultural Impact	• Became an archetype for the “quaint small‑town America” mythos in TV and film. • Influenced later shows about close‑knit communities (e.g., Northern Exposure, Gilmore Girls).	• One of the first mainstream sitcoms to focus on a Black working‑class family, paving the way for The Jeffersons, Sanford & Son, and later urban comedies like The Fresh Prince of Bel‑Air. • Remains a touchstone in discussions about representation and socioeconomic realism on television.

---

Setting as Character

• Mayberry: The town itself feels like an extended character—its quiet streets, the familiar sound of crickets at night, and its “one‑stop shop” atmosphere create a sense that life moves slowly enough for people to know each other’s histories. The physical world is tidy; problems are localized (a runaway horse, a missing child) and can be resolved by community members pulling together.
• Good Times’ Housing Project: The built environment is more oppressive—brick facades, narrow hallways, limited green space. Here the setting reinforces the characters’ struggle: cramped apartments mean that privacy is scarce and every decision (e.g., paying rent) carries city‑wide repercussions. The “city” is less a charming backdrop than an ever‑present pressure cooker that shapes dialogue, pacing, and plot.

Both series celebrate community, but they do so from opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum:

Aspect	Mayberry	Good Times
Leadership	Sheriff Andy—an elected authority figure who also mentors Opie and the townsfolk.	James Evans—a working‑class father who acts as moral leader, even though he holds no official power.
Conflict Resolution	Through informal town meetings, a quick chat at the diner, or a direct intervention by Andy.	By family council (the living room), church gatherings, and sometimes collective action (e.g., protesting rent hikes).
Social Safety Net	Implicit: neighbors lend sugar, the sheriff helps retrieve lost livestock; the “safety net” is built on personal reputation.	Explicit: extended kinship ties, community solidarity, occasional charitable outreach (church drives), but the safety net is fragile and often stretched thin.

---

Mayberry and the cityscape behind Good Times occupy opposite ends of the American geographic and cultural spectrum, yet they share a foundational purpose: to illustrate how ordinary people—through family, friendship, humor, and shared values—confront life’s challenges. In comparing these two fictional locales we see how television has used setting not merely as scenery but as a moral laboratory—one that can be as tranquil as a Southern crossroads or as urgent as a cramped Chicago high‑rise. Both worlds continue to inform our understanding of community, resilience, and the American narrative of “home,” albeit from dramatically different perspectives.

Stockbridge is a real city. With a real $32,900,000 budget amendment. And a real police station lease from a felon who crashed a bank. I really went to jail. Then I really sued the Eagle’s Landing cityhood people for years. I’m really downtown. The councilperson I’m answering lives 6 miles from downtown, 1/4 mile from Clayton County. The amphitheater tax bill would have been a classic episode of Good Times though.

Good Times: The Stage Before Stability

(James folds his newspaper sharply and stands up.)

James: Alright now, hold on just a minute! Let me tell you somethin’. This whole idea… this whole notion of buildin’ a party palace while we’re gettin’ robbed blind with these taxes is just plain criminal!

(He paces, getting increasingly agitated.)

James: You talk about community spirit? Community spirit ain’t built on singin’ and dancin’! It’s built on lookin’ out for each other. It’s built on makin’ sure every child has a warm coat in the winter! It’s built on knowin’ you got a roof over your head that doesn’t leak when it rains! And it certainly ain’t built on pilfering hard-earned money from folks who can barely make ends meet!

Penny: But Mr. Quizzoner…

James: (Interrupting) Mr. Quizzoner is sittin’ in his nice, warm office with hot water and good schools for his kids while we out here strugglin’! He ain’t gotta worry about a busted pipe or a pothole swallowin’ his car! He can afford to dream about amphitheaters because he already got the basics covered! And now he wants to take even MORE from us?!

Florida: That man needs to walk in our shoes, James. Just for one day.

James: Exactly! We ain’t askin’ for luxury, we’re askin’ for livability! We’re askin’ for a little bit of dignity! You can’t have a good time when you worried about where your next meal is comin’ from! You can’t enjoy a concert when you know your child’s school is fallin’ apart and you got an extra bill to pay because of it!

Michael: Dad’s right. It doesn’t make sense to party before paying the rent check, especially when they’re raising the rent just to have the party!

J.J.: (Looking downcast) I guess… it just seemed like a good idea. A way to bring some joy to things. But not if it means we’re all gonna be broke.

James: Joy is important, son. But real joy comes from security. From knowin’ you got somethin’ solid under your feet. We gotta demand they fix the schools, the roads, and get that hot water workin’ before they even think about layin’ a single brick for this amphitheater! And we gotta fight this tax bill tooth and nail! They can’t just take our money like that!

Ms. Tyler: You tell ‘em, James! We need to take this petition straight to City Hall!

Mr. Henderson: I’m with you all the way. Let them know we ain’t gonna settle for crumbs when we deserve a whole loaf! And let them know we’re lookin’ into where that money is really goin’!

(Penny looks at her neighbors, then at her family. She nods firmly.)

Penny: You’re right. We need to focus on what matters most. Let’s get this petition signed and show Mr. Quizzoner that the community deserves better than just a stage…and that we won’t be taken advantage of!

Florida: (Smiling) That’s my girl! Now, let’s get back to workin’. And maybe we can convince Old Man Withers to join us at City Hall. He got plenty of experience complainin’ about cold water and outrageous bills!

(The scene ends with the Evans family and their neighbors rallying together, determined to fight for their needs before indulging in any entertainment, fueled by outrage over the unfair tax bill.)

On Nextdoor, before I exited so gracefully. El-Mahdi Holly bragged that his co-sponsorship for the redevelopment powers bill referendum for Henry County thus enabled building of the VyStar at the Bridge Amphitheater here in Stockbridge, GA.

No one had to pass a bill to build the amphitheater. The bill he co-sponsored, enabling the redevelopment powers act by referendum HB1249, takes my home away. I won’t go long on the redev powers law except to say that by comparison to the amphitheater improvements, my house can be considered “dangerous blight.”

Why? Like everyone, the amphitheater is an electioneering machine for Holly and the Henry Prog. Dems. They stump on your tax dollars. During job fairs you’re paying for, they put up a sign and give some stupid speech. They ain’t at the job fair hiring lawyers, clerks or pages. He loves the amphitheater so much for this simple reason. I just heard LaKeisha Gantt giving a speech in my backyard this morning at the book bag giveaway.

When you understand your tax dollars do all the heavy lifting for their elections. You’ll understand why it’s a no-brainer for them, that my house, and moreover my livelihood are worthless to Atlanta space invaders.

Imagine bragging about co-sponsoring a local bill. Let alone braggadocio over taking people’s homes.

City of Stockbridge uses this for their next idea. I’m joking, sorry.

Speaking of abuses of things, setting aside $32,900,000 dollars & other people’s hair. Here’s a letter I just sent to the city attorney, Washington Legal Group today explaining issues surrounding the May 12 meeting video being edited. Pretty damn good rough draft for nothing, that’ll go nowhere. But persistence is key as the 90’s motivational posters used to inform me. Maybe we should rehang those at city hall? or take them down? Nor sure. Behold:

Ms. Mcullough, The Quizzoner, at al.,

The issue at hand now is the May 12 video found at https://stockbridgega.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3394/media

As to whom. Quinton, the PIO & IT staff potentially. Witnesses can swear affidavit they saw Thornton & Washington speaking just before the error. Though I allege the error was induced and believe I can prove so.

While the meetings are streaming they always come from https://cpcdn.azureedge.net/STOCKBRIDGEGALIVE1/STOCKBRIDGEGALIVE1/chunklist.m3u8 primarily. Secondarily is the city’s (https://stockbridgega.portal.civicclerk.com). The city portion is simply a front end to the .m3u8 stream during live meetings, and archived meetings thereafter. The portal page is just a fancy list and video player.

All archived meetings are named, e.g. (4b4629e90f.mp4). Every two places in that filename is a base64 number. This is how youtube addresses are generated as well. It’s simply a way to auto-generate, but not collide filenames. 5^64 is a very large number. This is an example of an un-tampered, archived meeting stream. All archived streams usually follow this format.

The edited May 12 2025 video has the filename (ffb36e25-548d-4080-9a99-957c87738bec.mp4). This number is called a UUID (or similar). We, Sunny Randazzo & Coren Randazzo, are in the minutes here (https://library.municode.com/ga/stockbridge/munidocs/munidocs?nodeId=8285a0248fb95). We are not in the May 12 video comments. We spoke before Mr. Paul Turner. However, at 34:35 the video jumps over the Mayor’s usual directions, over me and my mom, and clips into Paul. I managed to record my mom’s comment.

Silencing the Mayor for 1 minute sent a strong message. I was polite enough to concede the final 2. So I must blame someone that this violates my first amendment rights. You don’t go through Randazzo vs. Fisher then Clowdus to give up here. I’m a citation against qualified immunity. Yes, it’s gone right to my head.

The narrative is as simple as the city wants to redevelop a neighborhood and causes a nuisance therein. I’m very familiar with Provident Mu. Life vs. Atlanta. Thus; The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment obligates a state, through its officials, to treat similarly situated persons in a similar manner. It forbids the application of a legitimate, fair policy in an uneven manner. Yick Wo v. Hopkins, 118 U.S. 356, 373, 6 S.Ct. 1064, 1072, 30 L.Ed. 220 (1886); Chatterton v. Dutton, 223 Ga. 243, 245, 154 S.E.2d 213, cert. denied, 389 U.S. 914, 88 S.Ct. 247, 19 L.Ed.2d 266 (1967).

Those citations would apply to many matters here. The noise, edit, et al. I liken the noise, coupled with the redev plan to represent a psychological operation. Much like Panama 1989. 6th paragraph & citations here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Nifty_Package#Encircling_the_Apostolic_Nunciature_of_the_Holy_See

*******

Which is all to say. We can prove the edit with the metadata. And perhaps rationalize the redevelopment plan out of existence. Truly the character of the neighborhood isn’t as KB Advisory wrote. Fmr. Econ. Dir. Touchton said, and alluded to a study that said, there is no blight in 2019.

These attached are the outputs from jEXIFTool, files named respective of Stockbridge meeting dates. Please note, 5_12_25.png stands out markedly. There will be other records and a request has been sent to Ms. Vanessa more than a month ago. (https://hvdwolf.github.io/jExifToolGUI/).

I won’t lecture you on evidence rules. But, I wouldn’t type all that if my Momma wasn’t involved. Forgive me for calling him… The Quizzoner. He’s hilarious, I can’t help it. Sorry, Quinton, man, just shut up? Jeez. I’m probably your peer whether you like it or not. Game Theory? Read some game theory. It’s a forced coalition. I’ll spare the Shakespeare this time.

Any attention to these admittedly odd matters is appreciated. We (the family) are always willing to negotiate. The blog is not for sale.

Not for nothin’, I’m the best journalist in Henry County. If you don’t like the peaches, don’t shake the tree no more? https://stockbridgeamphitheater.com/a-response-to-whether-any-or-all-of-32900000-was-stolen/

Merci, bonsoir,

Coren Randazzo

What is clipchamp.com, Shana Thornton? Who’s up there at city hall chopping up videos for narrative purposes?

As re; https://www.11alive.com/video/news/politics/the-georgia-vote/brian-strickland-enters-ag-race-full-interview/85-24b2178c-6ef8-4b30-a753-8264b41f337f

Brian Strickland’s legislative record, including his support for the ill-fated Eagle’s Landing cityhood bill, demonstrates a willingness to endorse policies that would fracture communities, exacerbate inequality, and undermine democratic processes. When combined with the alarming attempt by his legislative colleague, and firm partner, former State House Rep. Andrew Welch to control the press through a state-mandated ethics board – an initiative that directly threatens the First Amendment and government accountability – a clear pattern emerges.

The role of Attorney General demands a steadfast commitment to justice, the rule of law, and the protection of all Georgians. A candidate who has actively supported measures that would inflict such significant damage to civil society, disenfranchise citizens, and stifle a free and independent press raises serious questions about their fitness for this crucial office. Georgians deserve an Attorney General who will unify, not divide, and who will champion, not suppress, the democratic institutions that ensure transparency and accountability.

For all of you, the Eagle’s Landing Cityhood, SB263 ended the day the cityhood vote failed. For me & Brian it would mean 2 more years in Federal and State court. The best synopsis of this period of my life is Greenamyre’s SLAPP Brief in Opposition.

Strickland, on behalf of SC&A, denied allegations that Clowdus fabricated evidence to the police. He stated that Ms. Clowdus simply reported the receipt of harassing phone calls to the police and never referenced the plaintiff in her initial report. Strickland also emphasized that Clowdus did not initiate contact with the police and only made a statement after the police reached out to her, and she never asked for charges to be brought.

However, the truth was a starkly different picture. We proved in court Clowdus “lied about receiving threatening phone calls in order to further her business and political interests”. We proved Clowdus received only a single, non-threatening call, directly contradicting Clowdus’s affidavit, which swore she received three calls, two of which were explicitly threatening. This assertion is proven with the phone records (Exhibit D, Randazzo Phone Records), which show only one 28-second call. Furthermore, Clowdus’s initial written statement to law enforcement reportedly shows no threat in this first (and only) call (Exhibit F, Clowdus Written Statement).

Clowdus “repeatedly provided false facts to law enforcement in order to force a criminal prosecution”. Clowdus falsely told Detective Isaac Fisher (her fellow member in Eagle’s Landing Country Club & neighbor) all three calls came from the plaintiff’s number and that each call came from the same person with the same voice. In Clowdus’s statements about her fear, claiming she told Officer Fisher she was “scared to death” and added security, despite allegedly having previously told law enforcement she was “not very concerned”. Strickland’s defense, by denying these fabrications, implicitly supports Clowdus’s version of events against evidence.

In essence, the man who wrote the cityhood bill then defended one of it’s backers by defending her sacrosanct right to lie to the police. The e-mail between Ireland and Clowdus where she admitted to having no concerns was available to everyone by open records. Including the Atlanta media establishment, of which you can read in their e-mails from 2019, never asked for a single document. That’s Brian’s & 11Alive’s attitude toward truth and law in a nutshell.

I can’t know, but perhaps Mr. Strickland was contractually obligated in this defense by some prearranged obligation. It’d be hard for me to believe that’s a likely scenario, but no matter. The proper (in my opinion of the spirit of law), the proper way forward was to negotiate, not to misapply SLAPP as ultimately ineffective lawfare. Had he negotiated in good faith & sworn off these cityhood’s that are nothing more than ploys to destabilize existing communities, I may have been endorsing him for AG right now. However I think this long record he’s left speaks for itself and this candidacy cannot come to fruition.

“We gotta nip it in the bud, Andy” like old Barney said.

That entire news blitz to discredit me was mere theater. I really need the public to notice that an 11Alive reporter’s husband owns a political PR firm. I need you to know Monica Kaufman-Pearson’s husband John did once, and perhaps now works for Sheriff Scandrett. Notice Hannah Yahne’s curriculum vitae says in plain English that she’s a trained PIO.

For now, we’ll set aside Strickland is & was part of the business end of the amphitheater’s construction in 2019 as being registered agent for the excavation contractor. We’ve all seen how that business endeavor has progressed in 2025 with the recent revelation of $6,100,000 illegal amphitheater budget fund #353 transfers & the resulting termination of the amphitheater head manager.

https://gpbnews.org/post/eagles-landing-and-stockbridge-tale-one-community-two-identities

https://perma.cc/X3QE-8YM9

https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt–politics/eagle-landing-cityhood-movement-wins-legal-battle-keep-vote-alive/iDHYi4qCXU7eoo4I20JitN

https://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/ethics-journalism-act-georgia-welch.php

https://reason.com/2019/04/03/georgia-bill-would-mandate-journalism-et

https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20192020/187241

About this transcript

Full transcript of Agriculture Commissioner candidate Brian Strickland’s AJC podcast appearance, posted for searchability.

First things first. AJC IT doesn’t realize their podcast audio can be embedded here from the cloud URL. The following audio copy is not on this server, but from AJC’s cloud CDN.

[01:20.060 –> 01:22.820] Welcome to Politically Georgia from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
[01:23.020 –> 01:23.860] I’m Patricia Murphy.
[01:24.220 –> 01:28.120] Well, State Senator Brian Strickland officially kicked off his campaign for Georgia.
[01:28.200 –> 01:29.360] Attorney General this week.
[01:29.740 –> 01:35.820] The McDonough Republican says his plan is to fight crime and gangs, human trafficking, and retail theft.
[01:36.220 –> 01:40.600] He joins me now here in our AJC studios in beautiful Midtown Atlanta.
[01:40.720 –> 01:41.980] Senator, thanks for coming in.
[01:42.060 –> 01:42.860] Thanks for having me, Patricia.
[01:43.000 –> 01:43.740] Great studio here.
[01:44.000 –> 01:45.920] Great to get to tour it and see it for the first time.
[01:46.000 –> 01:46.720] It’s pretty fancy.
[01:46.880 –> 01:48.400] We don’t know what to do with ourselves right here.
[01:48.400 –> 01:48.980] Very fancy.
[01:49.120 –> 01:49.980] Nice setup you have.
[01:50.240 –> 01:50.860] Thank you.
[01:51.380 –> 01:54.620] Well, listen, speaking of nice setup, that we have nice setup that you have.
[01:54.620 –> 01:58.000] You have now officially kicked off your campaign for Attorney.
[01:58.000 –> 01:58.500] General.
[01:58.500 –> 01:59.000] That’s right.
[01:59.000 –> 02:05.140] Tell us a little bit about your decision to go from being the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee in the State Senate,
[02:05.140 –> 02:08.620] which is a powerful position, and now you’ve decided to make this statewide run.
[02:09.040 –> 02:09.540] That’s right.
[02:09.540 –> 02:18.080] And so if you know anything about my past in the legislature, I represented and have represented an area that’s been a challenging area to get elected as a Republican in.
[02:18.340 –> 02:24.160] And we’ve been challenged every two years with very difficult elections going back to 2012 when I first ran for the State House.
[02:24.160 –> 02:27.580] So we had 2012, 2014, 16, 18, 20.
[02:27.580 –> 02:27.920] Yeah.
[02:28.460 –> 02:29.560] 22, 24.
[02:29.960 –> 02:31.060] We’ve run a lot of campaigns.
[02:31.400 –> 02:37.840] And what we’ve seen year after year is we’ve been able to get elected by working hard and staying true to who we are.
[02:38.620 –> 02:48.880] And after we won all these elections and we had some very difficult elections, there was one, I believe it was in 2020, where Stacey Abrams did a rally near my house for my opponent.
[02:49.220 –> 02:50.880] That’s just good politics right there.
[02:50.880 –> 02:51.460] Good politics.
[02:51.460 –> 02:55.060] We saw Howard Dean at one point putting money in for my opponent randomly.
[02:55.060 –> 02:57.160] We had George Soros putting money in.
[02:57.160 –> 02:58.820] And we had very difficult elections.
[02:58.820 –> 03:00.240] We won those elections.
[03:00.240 –> 03:05.560] And then what we saw after we won is attempts to change the districts and the courts.
[03:06.220 –> 03:09.800] And so we went from winning at the ballot box to having to go fight in the courthouse.
[03:10.280 –> 03:14.800] And we’re seeing the same thing with what we’re with the policies we passed in the Gold Dome.
[03:15.580 –> 03:23.660] I got elected, winning in a district that was very hard for Republicans, but I went to the Capitol year after year and fought for conservative principles, conservative values.
[03:24.020 –> 03:26.920] And I was known as a workhorse that got a lot of tough issues.
[03:26.920 –> 03:32.840] issues through the legislature and what we’ve seen issues such as the heartbeat bill constitutional
[03:32.840 –> 03:39.300] carry the election integrity law when the left loses these debates at the state capitol they go
[03:39.300 –> 03:43.420] again to the courthouse they go from the state house to the courthouse to try to challenge our
[03:43.420 –> 03:48.120] laws there and so that’s what i love about about the attorney general’s office this is the new
[03:48.120 –> 03:54.140] front line when it comes to preserving our values in georgia you can pass great laws as we’ve done
[03:54.140 –> 03:59.640] under the gold don we have to go and defend those laws in the courthouse after that okay a couple of
[03:59.640 –> 04:03.840] things that you mentioned there um the lines that were redrawn i mean those were redrawn by
[04:03.840 –> 04:09.300] republicans this wasn’t an effort to make it harder for you to get elected um but just didn’t
[04:09.300 –> 04:13.140] you know they need to write redraw the lines but it did get tougher for you got more democratic
[04:13.140 –> 04:17.100] it got tougher and i’m not talking about the redrawing the lines themselves that’s something
[04:17.100 –> 04:22.420] that we’re required to do every 10 years i’m talking about winning elections and then seeing
[04:22.420 –> 04:24.040] attempts for political reasons
[04:24.040 –> 04:29.920] to file lawsuits to try to change the lines to benefit the democrats and we saw them targeting
[04:29.920 –> 04:35.440] me time after time we saw multiple lawsuits after the 2020 election we saw lawsuits after the 2016
[04:35.440 –> 04:41.140] election i was in as well challenging our lines trying to win the the fight you couldn’t win the
[04:41.140 –> 04:46.860] ballot box at the courthouse and it goes again the same theme we see a lot of times at the gold
[04:46.860 –> 04:53.700] dome you see issues where we vote to defend georgia’s values and support policies that we
[04:53.700 –> 04:54.020] were electing and we were electing to defend georgia’s values and support policies that we
[04:54.020 –> 05:00.720] elected to to support and then you see an effort to to bypass that and go straight to a judge and
[05:00.720 –> 05:05.600] try to get overturned okay let’s do a little a quick introduction get to know you for our listeners who
[05:05.600 –> 05:10.160] may not be familiar with you from your work down at the state senate so far um grew up in henry
[05:10.160 –> 05:14.700] county as you said on a family farm that’s right your parent your parents were farmers yeah my dad
[05:14.700 –> 05:19.620] my dad is still farming to this day he is i can’t say the very last row crop farmer in henry county
[05:19.620 –> 05:23.380] there’s still a couple other row crop farmers around but he still has row crop farms surrounded
[05:24.020 –> 05:30.580] in henry county and so i grew up there and um when i grew up in henry county it was very rural
[05:30.580 –> 05:34.640] at the time of course my dad would say it was very rural when he was growing up before 75 even went
[05:34.640 –> 05:40.220] through um but we’ve seen it become very much a metro county in the meantime as it’s grown so much
[05:40.220 –> 05:43.900] yeah it’s kind of like that country farm dirt cheap you know they keep trying to buy the farmer’s
[05:43.900 –> 05:48.260] farm but he just absolutely he’s not gonna sell that’s right he will not sell it um but now you
[05:48.260 –> 05:53.380] went to law school so you’re not a you’re not a family farmer i broke the trend i’m the first one
[05:53.380 –> 05:54.000] as far back as i can tell you i’m a lawyer i’m a lawyer i’m a lawyer i’m a lawyer i’m a lawyer
[05:54.020 –> 06:00.300] we know that it’s not farming and so i decided to go to law school first person in my family to
[06:00.300 –> 06:04.860] go to law school and came back home after i went to law school went to volusia state university
[06:04.860 –> 06:09.380] got economics degree and then i went to law school in jacksonville at florida coastal school of law
[06:09.380 –> 06:13.480] and i came back home and i started practicing right in my hometown of mcdonough where i still
[06:13.480 –> 06:17.020] practice to this day okay you were in the state house before you were in the state senate what
[06:17.020 –> 06:22.720] got you into politics so that’s what my my parents would laugh because they’d say there’s there’s
[06:24.020 –> 06:28.820] we’re not a political family um now they say that they still make comments and i would know how they
[06:28.820 –> 06:34.400] felt politically on certain issues um but for me it was all about making change and i saw quickly
[06:34.400 –> 06:39.180] growing up that if you want to have a really big impact you got to get yourself in position to do
[06:39.180 –> 06:44.800] that and and so when i went to law school the reason i went to law school is i wanted to have
[06:44.800 –> 06:50.100] the ability to go and fight for that little guy against the big guy in court because the court’s
[06:50.100 –> 06:53.380] a place where everybody is equal and at least they’re supposed to be
[06:53.380 –> 06:58.720] and and so i wanted to be that guy that could go and defend people in the judicial process
[06:58.720 –> 07:03.400] and then with politics i learned quickly too that that is how you make big change
[07:03.400 –> 07:07.660] and so i started getting involved from as soon as i was at a law school i was involved in a
[07:07.660 –> 07:13.220] community through non-profits did some campaign work and next thing you know 2012 comes along
[07:13.220 –> 07:20.020] and the redrawn house lines from 2010 created a new house seat inside of henry county where i grew
[07:20.020 –> 07:23.360] up and people said you got to run for this and i said i’m not an affirmative
[07:23.380 –> 07:27.620] i’m ready for that yet but everybody kept pushing me to run and and the rest is history i ran that
[07:27.620 –> 07:31.900] year and won and been running ever since how old were you then because you’re you’re just 41 now
[07:31.900 –> 07:38.540] yeah i was 28 at the time okay so i was single uh before i really met my wife we’d met previously
[07:38.540 –> 07:43.580] she wouldn’t remember if i did but um we’d met and she will joke and say he still had his old
[07:43.580 –> 07:48.440] spiked up hair and gel in his hair i was young and single and trying to get my way through life
[07:48.440 –> 07:53.300] before i found lindsey okay well then now you go through the state house
[07:53.380 –> 07:59.780] into the state senate i i have covered you in the state senate watched you there um you were one of
[07:59.780 –> 08:04.140] the republicans really taking a lead on things like family leave family medical leave people i
[08:04.140 –> 08:08.320] don’t think typically expect republicans to take the lead on something like that also mental health
[08:08.320 –> 08:14.300] especially as it intersects with uh the criminal justice system getting people help sooner um what
[08:14.300 –> 08:20.960] were your priorities in the state senate and so my goal every year was to not just do something
[08:20.960 –> 08:23.200] that i could talk about in the campaign trail not just
[08:23.380 –> 08:28.080] vote for an issue and go out they didn’t really do anything go out and campaign on it always look
[08:28.080 –> 08:33.420] for hard things to take on and you look at things like sick leave that bill is a very difficult bill
[08:33.420 –> 08:37.880] to get passed but we got it passed with republicans democrats coming together and voting for it and
[08:37.880 –> 08:43.760] all that bill said was that if you have accrued sick leave you can use that to care for other
[08:43.760 –> 08:47.520] family members that you’re caring for that’s not a red or blue issue that’s something that so many
[08:47.520 –> 08:53.240] people single parents grandparents that are they’re raising children um need that or caring
[08:53.240 –> 08:53.360] for their children and they’re not going to be able to do that because they’re not going to be able to
[08:53.380 –> 08:53.400] care for their children and they’re not going to be able to do that because they’re not going to
[08:53.400 –> 08:58.380] special needs child and then you look at mental health reform to me it started with criminal
[08:58.380 –> 09:02.980] justice reform under governor deal and i was fortunate to get to carry the very last piece
[09:02.980 –> 09:07.300] of criminal justice reform for governor deal in 2018 when i was new in the senate and then i was
[09:07.300 –> 09:12.360] able to carry um legislation dealing with mental health of course from day one in the senate as
[09:12.360 –> 09:17.880] well and it continues this idea that you know there are people that should be locked up those
[09:17.880 –> 09:23.220] that are dangerous society we have to be tough we have to get gangs under control we got of course
[09:23.220 –> 09:28.600] deal with human traffickers we’ve got to get people that need to be in prison in prison but
[09:28.600 –> 09:33.780] there are people out there that can be lifted out of the system and become taxpayers again and it
[09:33.780 –> 09:38.360] saves the state money versus leaving you in the system getting you out if you can prove yourself
[09:38.360 –> 09:43.340] that you’re willing to work and get a job and become a taxpayer it saves the state money it’s
[09:43.340 –> 09:47.700] the right thing for that person that family because what you do is you stop a cycle of crime at that
[09:47.700 –> 09:52.240] point and mental health reform is the same way there are people that that need resources from
[09:52.240 –> 09:53.200] the state um and they’re not going to be able to do that because they’re not going to be able to
[09:53.220 –> 09:57.480] um we have a federal parity law that was not being enforced when it comes to insurance companies
[09:57.480 –> 10:02.920] um covering mental health the same way they cover physical health so that’s something i was proud to
[10:02.920 –> 10:07.220] work on again i think it goes my reputation of not being afraid to take on some very tough battles
[10:07.220 –> 10:11.180] and when those bills come to the floor they pass pretty much unanimously but it’s getting them to
[10:11.180 –> 10:16.060] the floor that’s always the challenge uh you also were the chairman of the judiciary committee when
[10:16.060 –> 10:22.900] governor kemp’s tort reform bill huge package came through um how did you balance your role
[10:23.220 –> 10:28.520] as a trial attorney as well as somebody who is close with the governor supports the governor and
[10:28.520 –> 10:33.000] saw this bill coming down yeah so my practice is a very general practice i’ve been on both sides
[10:33.000 –> 10:36.440] those kind of cases i’ve represented and i still do business owners they’re being sued
[10:36.440 –> 10:40.320] a lot of times it’s frivolous cases they’re having to spend money just to get dismissed
[10:40.320 –> 10:45.060] i’ve also represented people that without the court system as i mentioned earlier would have
[10:45.060 –> 10:49.300] no way of standing up for themselves that fighting fighting big business and fighting
[10:49.300 –> 10:53.200] someone’s taking advantage of them and so when the when that bill came to
[10:53.220 –> 10:58.500] those bills came to the senate judiciary committee i did what i was expected to do is i read the bills
[10:58.500 –> 11:03.380] work through them i spent a lot of time with the governor’s team going section by section
[11:03.380 –> 11:08.100] trying to make sure we got it right because we need to bring down rates in our state we need
[11:08.100 –> 11:13.780] to take on and stop these frivolous cases that we all can give examples of but at the same time we
[11:13.780 –> 11:18.100] got to preserve the system that we have and preserve our constitutional rights and so i think
[11:18.100 –> 11:22.580] that bill got to a place where it had that balance which is why i supported it but it was a lot of
[11:22.580 –> 11:23.220] work to get there
[11:23.220 –> 11:26.740] and governor’s camp team was great and working with me on that bill
[11:26.740 –> 11:31.300] okay we are here with state senator brian strickland a newly announced candidate for
[11:31.300 –> 11:37.140] attorney general here in georgia on the attorney general’s race what do you see as the role of the
[11:37.140 –> 11:38.660] attorney general here in the state now
[11:38.660 –> 11:43.220] and so i think it’s really shifted obviously there’s the traditional role of
[11:43.220 –> 11:47.460] representing the agencies we want to make sure our state agencies are delivering what they should be
[11:47.460 –> 11:52.340] for our citizens representing the governor standing up for georgia at the federal level
[11:53.220 –> 11:57.460] what we saw with joe biden was a lot of efforts to undo a lot of what the state was trying to do on
[11:57.460 –> 12:02.260] our own and so i’m happy to see president trump restoring a lot of the rights back to georgia and
[12:02.260 –> 12:07.300] standing up for us at the federal level and so it’s defending president trump now and making
[12:07.300 –> 12:12.100] sure that georgia is represented in washington dc but now as i mentioned earlier we’re seeing
[12:12.100 –> 12:17.300] more and more of when the left can’t win a debate at the state house they go to the courthouse
[12:17.300 –> 12:22.100] and so it’s standing up look at the election integrity law when we would pass senate bill 202
[12:23.220 –> 12:27.940] he said they could vote five tell me is it that you also think we’re going to show gravity
[12:27.940 –> 12:32.340] conventionality when this is regulate絡 for election nature regulation um do you think
[12:32.340 –> 12:37.540] that this is what georgia is doing to protect the states from people like joe biden that she
[12:37.540 –> 12:45.940] made that use a lot earlier when you look to a victory act and what she did to cc abrams over
[12:46.500 –> 12:46.860] getting rid of steinberg and to win jo
[12:46.860 –> 12:47.460] theν but laji abrams called for a boycott of the all-start game we saw lawsuits filed saying this
[12:47.460 –> 12:48.580] bill is going to make it impossible for people to vote yeah what we saw was the opposite more people
[12:48.580 –> 12:52.180] voted we saw more secure elections more confidence in our elections we saw smoother elections and we saw we
[12:52.180 –> 12:56.800] the state house again to the courthouse itself, because that’s not where the debate ends. It’s
[12:56.800 –> 13:02.360] great to pass this great legislation at state capitol. It’s great to win on the debates of
[13:02.360 –> 13:06.260] the floor in the House and Senate. But then you go straight to a courthouse where you have to have
[13:06.260 –> 13:10.640] the legal experience and the fight in you to go win those fights there, too. Now, we have seen
[13:10.640 –> 13:16.520] Republicans, of course, were challenging the Biden administration over and over again in court. And
[13:16.520 –> 13:21.540] Attorney General Chris Carr joined in on lots of those lawsuits on behalf of the state. They were
[13:21.540 –> 13:27.760] typically GOP AGs suing the Biden administration. And then the attorney general would sign on to
[13:27.760 –> 13:36.080] those cases as well. Everything from girls sports to immigration over and over a lot of
[13:36.080 –> 13:40.920] it seemed like Republican efforts to do what you’re talking about, suing the administration
[13:40.920 –> 13:44.180] over what they were doing. Do you see those as comparable?
[13:45.240 –> 13:51.080] Well, what you saw under Joe Biden was attempt after attempt to take power away from the states.
[13:51.540 –> 13:57.180] Issues where we would debate the issue against the state capital. We have those who elected us,
[13:57.180 –> 14:01.260] we’re passing the laws they expect us to pass. Then you saw a federal government that came in
[14:01.260 –> 14:07.020] and said, we know better than you. I applaud the attempts that we’ve seen from Chris Carr and other
[14:07.020 –> 14:11.820] Republican AGs when they went after the Biden administration. We also saw a Biden administration
[14:11.820 –> 14:16.220] that refused to enforce the border laws we had at the time. And we saw the impact in Georgia,
[14:16.220 –> 14:20.840] not a border state, but we saw the impact of an open border policy. We still see the impact today
[14:20.840 –> 14:21.520] that that caused. But we saw the impact of an open border policy. We saw the impact of an open border
[14:21.540 –> 14:26.340] our state. And so there are times where you have to play offense, you have to stand up for our
[14:26.340 –> 14:31.400] state at the federal level. And luckily, now we have a president that is doing things in the
[14:31.400 –> 14:36.500] opposite way. He has secured the border, he’s enforcing the laws we have on the books, and he’s
[14:36.500 –> 14:43.000] also restoring powers to the states. And I think for me, most people would rather have decisions
[14:43.000 –> 14:47.060] made here in Atlanta for them at the state capitol than relying upon Washington, D.C. to do that.
[14:47.060 –> 14:52.920] Talk a little bit about President Trump and what you see as his role right now. There are
[14:52.920 –> 14:57.600] concerns on the left that the president is attacking the rule of law by suing or rather
[14:57.600 –> 15:03.840] issuing executive orders against law firms by requiring pro bono work to stave off potential
[15:03.840 –> 15:10.220] other executive orders. Do you feel like the president is upholding the rule of law in the
[15:10.220 –> 15:15.160] actions that he’s taking so far in the White House? I do. And let me say this. I mentioned
[15:15.160 –> 15:17.040] earlier that I’ve dealt with law
[15:17.040 –> 15:23.500] suits after elections. You know, we saw multiple attempts to go after the district I was representing,
[15:23.600 –> 15:29.540] go after the seat that I’ve had that were not successful in the federal courts. That pales in
[15:29.540 –> 15:33.420] comparison to what President Trump has been through. You talk about lawfare, you talk about
[15:33.420 –> 15:38.880] what the left has thrown at him through our judicial process. And what bothers me as an
[15:38.880 –> 15:45.300] attorney is people, everyday people have less and less faith in the process because they’ve seen
[15:45.300 –> 15:46.760] what the left has done to President Trump.
[15:47.040 –> 16:11.280] They’ve seen what the left has done to President Trump in the last four years and what they continue to do today as he now implements the policies that he won an election on. And so I applaud him for pushing back and standing up for himself in the judicial branch of government. And again, as Attorney General in Georgia, I’ll defend him and stand up for his rights to give power back to the states and implement the laws that he ran on, the policies that he ran on.
[16:11.280 –> 16:16.280] You are going to have a GOP opponent in the primary, State Senator Bill Cousert.
[16:17.040 –> 16:19.480] So you guys used to see each other all the time in the State Senate.
[16:20.000 –> 16:25.600] Will you seek the president’s endorsement in that GOP primary? He did endorse in the last Attorney General race.
[16:25.720 –> 16:47.020] Yeah, I’m not sure President Trump will want to endorse in our race or not, but I’d be happy to have his endorsement. I think that my reputation speaks for itself. And we’ve gone over a little bit of some of the stuff I’ve worked on in the past. But you know, you’re getting with me. You get someone that’s going to fight hard every single day, not just to win the election, but also beyond that is going to take that fight to the courthouse that we need to defend our policy. So I’d be happy to have that.
[16:47.040 –> 16:48.640] I’d be happy to have President Trump’s endorsement.
[16:49.300 –> 16:56.520] How would you describe the difference between you and Senator Cousert when you’re talking to GOP voters ahead of the primary going into this cycle?
[16:56.840 –> 17:15.400] Well, the good news is I’m going to talk about Brian Strickland, not Bill Cousert, because he will campaign for himself. I’ve worked with Bill a lot over the years, and I’m here to talk about my race and my campaign. I have a reputation that you’ve alluded to. And so I tell people, if you want to know about me, go and ask those that have worked with me.
[17:15.400 –> 17:17.000] Go ask Ranking File.
[17:17.040 –> 17:22.200] I’ve talked to all members of General Assembly about their experience working with me. Ask them about my reputation. I’m proud to run on that.
[17:22.740 –> 17:27.300] And what are going to be your priorities as Attorney General? You’ve talked about them a little bit, but fine tune that a little bit.
[17:27.740 –> 17:47.020] Yeah. And so looking, most importantly, I think it’s going over and defending again the policies we’ve already put in place at the state level. We’ve had a lot of great victories in Georgia. Georgia is a place that especially since 2020, people are flocking to. Our economy is outperforming other states because of our tax policies, because our conservative fiscal
[17:47.020 –> 18:13.220] policies. We see people wanting to move here and live here and raise their families. And what you’re going to see is attempts from the left to overturn that. You’re going to see that starting next year in the 26th election. And so to me, we’ve got to win in 26, which I believe I’m most equipped to do. But second, we’ve got to continue that fight in 27 to defend these values that make people want to go to Georgia. And that to me is the number one job the Attorney General is standing up for the values that we have in our state.
[18:13.220 –> 18:16.820] Georgia is increasingly a battleground state. I would be very surprised.
[18:17.020 –> 18:22.280] If you don’t have a well-funded Democratic opponent as well.
[18:22.360 –> 18:22.660] Sure.
[18:22.960 –> 18:32.100] For our listeners, what’s the difference between having a Brian Strickland and a Democrat who is going to be running for this race as well when they’re making their choice?
[18:32.920 –> 18:46.480] With Brian Strickland, you get someone that’s going to stand up for the conservative principles that we have in place. For me, it’s really about our family values and our commitment to faith in our state is going to continue those efforts. I mean, that’s what you’re going to get with me.
[18:46.540 –> 18:47.000] You’re going to get someone that’s going to stand up for the conservative principles that we have in place.
[18:47.020 –> 18:56.220] You’re going to get someone that’s going to go into our state agencies. We haven’t talked a lot about that. But my background dealing with mental health reform in particular, we’re going to make sure our agencies are working for the everyday Georgian.
[18:56.720 –> 19:02.620] We’re going to make sure that you don’t have lawfare going on in our courts. You don’t have folks going after people for political reasons.
[19:03.220 –> 19:10.380] You’re going to make sure that things like the Election Integrity Act, our election laws are upheld. Our heartbeat bill is upheld.
[19:10.380 –> 19:14.860] Our constitutional rights were not just the first amendment, the second amendment rights too.
[19:15.020 –> 19:16.640] The constitutional care is a great example.
[19:17.020 –> 19:22.800] An issue I worked on, you’re going to see all those laws defended, more of our individual freedoms in our state defended.
[19:23.300 –> 19:28.400] All right. Well, State Senator Brian Strickland, newly announced candidate for attorney general here in Georgia.
[19:28.600 –> 19:30.180] Congratulations on launching the race.
[19:30.340 –> 19:30.540] Thank you.
[19:30.560 –> 19:32.060] We will have you back again soon.
[19:32.200 –> 19:32.780] Thanks for having me.
[19:32.860 –> 19:33.620] All right. Thanks so much.

AJC’s Patricia Murphy let’s Strickland run his mouth unfettered for quite a while. For a hundred life changing issues we face, promulgated by his firm in Henry County. AJC doesn’t have the guts to scrutinize any of it. Atlanta Media is just a Public Relations firm pursuing their own interests in land development for the Cox family. I hope it’s worth the paycheck, dorks.

Audio transcribed by Whisper from the following source; https://www.ajc.com/politics/2025/06/brian-strickland-touts-his-work-ethic-in-his-run-for-georgia-attorney-general

Update; As of June 16, 2025, the paywall is back. Perhaps they didn’t pay and their paywall got paywalled?

The recent decision by local newspapers to remove their paywalls coinciding with a state senator’s campaign for Georgia’s Attorney General (AG) raises significant concerns about journalistic integrity, public interest, and the evolving priorities of media institutions. While the move may be positioned to seem like a public service, it reflects deeper issues that undermine both journalism’s credibility and its economic viability. Box sales were dead when I printed Griffin Daily News in 1997. Ad revenues have been gutted by primarily Google ever since 1999.

Newspapers increasingly rely on paywalls to sustain revenue in an era of declining print subscriptions and ad income. By dismantling these barriers seemingly at the request of a political candidate, outlets risk sacrificing financial stability for short term political leverage. This decision prioritizes catering to a campaign’s needs over supporting the longterm health of journalism. A dangerous precedent that could force newsrooms to increasingly kowtow to political figures seeking free publicity.

During the Eagle’s Landing Cityhood & in recent years, media institutions have acted as de facto campaign tools for favored politicians rather than neutral arbiters of information.

When newspapers bend to political requests, it fuels perceptions of bias and undermines their role as independent watchdogs. Readers may question whether coverage is shaped by editorial judgment or the influence of candidates seeking an edge. In Georgia’s AG race, for instance, free access coinciding with one candidate’s stories might lead audiences to assume favorable treatment, weakening trust in both the outlet and the electoral process itself.

The decision reduces journalism to a transactional commodity, where content is freely given not because it serves public interest but because it aligns with political agendas. This devalues the effort required for rigorous reporting and analysis, suggesting that news is merely a tool for campaigns rather than a product of journalistic rigor.

This move sets a troubling precedent: political figures can sway media decisions by leveraging their influence, leading to more frequent requests for preferential treatment in future elections. Smaller candidates or underfunded newsrooms may struggle to compete, further consolidating power in the hands of those with resources or connections.

While newspapers might justify removing paywalls as a public service during pivotal races like Georgia’s AG election, the underlying motives and implications warrant scrutiny. Such actions prioritize political expediency over journalistic independence, risk financial instability for outlets, and distort electoral fairness. To maintain credibility and sustain quality journalism, media institutions must resist becoming pawns in political campaigns, ensuring their paywall strategies and editorial decisions serve readers, not just candidates. The public deserves transparency about such choices to trust both the news and its sources of information.

You don’t have to believe my criticism on faith alone. I did prove them wrong. The stringency of the ORR you see here should have been done by the journalists. Setting the first errors in due diligence aside. The Society of Professional Journalist’s ethics guidelines are meaningless. It’s outside the scope of this post to share with you all I shared with journalist’s who covered my false arrest. Suffice to say, that which you now read is the story they won’t publish.

Either way. I’m not losing my home to you scoundrels, now or then. Consider the following in your comparison. Local media coverage fails to inform you of precedent setting court cases. I don’t want Brian Strickland as State AG. I don’t want him as Georgia Judiciary Committee Chairman.

https://www.henryherald.com/news/man-arrested-for-making-threatening-phone-calls-to-eagles-landing-board-member/article_7aff1b67-b4ea-5157-b515-1566579cb1c7.html

You can read for yourself Strickland’s defense of Susan Clowdus lying to police right here. Please note, the police she lied to lived in Eagle’s Landing. My first Judge, Brown, was unseated after my case landed on his desk. He lived in Eagle’s Landing too, but he doesn’t now.

Strickland SLAPP motion

Strickland complaint answer

And you can read all the e-mails sent to the county by Atlanta & Henry media here. Please note, there isn’t a single open records request by any of these professional journalists anywhere in this pile.

Eagle’s Landing false arrest media release e-mails

Finally. One of my first open records requests led to the e-mail that made the lawsuit work. An e-mail, not beholden to 50-18-70 ORR exemptions, no one in the news media could find. Nor would they talk to me about their errors when the civil cases were settled.