Lobbying Firm Staffing Black’s Campaign For Agriculture

Presser from the campaign of JB Powell, candidate for Agriculture Commissioner

In the ongoing scandal about Gary Black’s campaign largely being supported by the lobbying firm that employed Black as a lobbyist for over 20 years, today it was discovered that the lobbying firm treasurer, Wayne Christian, is also the treasurer for Gary Black’s campaign.

“A lobbying firm has not just paid Black’s salary during his political campaign, but is also supplying staff for Gary Black’s campaign. This just goes to prove that Black’s election would be putting the fox in charge of the hen house and special interests would be staffing the Department of Agriculture if Black is elected. Georgia farmers and families do not need a lobbyist, they need an advocate for food safety and farmers” said JB Powell, Democratic candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture.

Records from the Georgia Ethics Commission and Georgia Agribusiness Council’s tax filings reveal that Wayne Christian is the treasurer for both Gary Black’s campaign and a lobbying firm sheltered from paying taxes by non-profit status despite a majority of expenses incurred for “promoting agribusiness.”