Below is a series of correspondence between Denise Caldon Sorkness and the executive director of the Georgia GOP named Adam Pipkin in regards to selecting elected officials as delegates to the convention. Specifically the selection of Sam Olens was of major concern due to his many conflicts of interest and a number of lawsuits. I am publishing the correspondence without any editing except for the hiding of email identities to avoid spambots that crawl the web looking for addresses.
Perhaps the next time Mister Pipkin decides to give glib responses to concerned voters in the state he might want to make sure the person he is replying to isn’t a very determined and well-connected watchdog advocate with a lot of media connections.
Before you read the emails you should view this online Powerpoint explaining why Denise has concerns.
TO: Adam Pipkin | Executive Director
Georgia Republican Party
3110 Maple Dr. Suite 150 Atlanta, GA 30305
Office: 404.257.5559 | eFax: 404.257.0779
Contrary to your response, Adam, in which you said:
“I’m not sure where you came up with that but elected officials can be delegates and have been for the past century.”
I stated in my email to you:
“One concerned Georgian stated, “state-elected officials are not eligible to be Delegates.”
I was simply asking you on their behalf – and an increasing number of other Georgians.
I will ask the question again, Adam, only this time more specific and with another question as well:
You state in your email below, Adam Pipkin, Executive Director of the Georgia Republican Party:
“I’m not sure where you came up with that but elected officials can be delegates and have been for the past century.”
QUESTION 1: Are there any official/written guidelines that address Delegate qualifications re the eligibility of state-elected officials?”
QUESTION 2: Given serious “conflict of interests” in Georgia’s state government (headlined in the news often), if the Georgia Republican Party has no official/written guidelines that address Delegate qualifications re the eligibility of state-elected officials, do you, as the Executive Director of the Georgia Republican Party, feel the increasing concern of state-elected officials being Delegates should be addressed?”
Keep in mind, Adam, when former Republican Governor Perdue, was asked about another serious issue – the misappropriations of millions of tax dollars for decades by our state’s higher education system, the Board of Regents of the USG – Perdue’s response was pretty close to yours – it’s always been that way.
Governor Deal has been fully informed and will not respond.
With the fact Attorney General Sam Olens – recently elected GAGOP DELEGATE – is also the legal voice for his Defendants, the Board of Regents (aka, “The Untouchables”) in an increasing number of lawsuits regarding fiscal, ethical and criminal malfeasance, an increasing number of Georgia Republican feel strongly this issue should be, at the very least, discussed.
I am simply speaking on their behalf. If you want their names and contact info, please let me know.
Requested by USG faculty, staff, students (former colleagues), and concerned Georgians, the link to the Power Point presentation for speaking engagements and distribution detailing some of the fiscal malfeasance by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia can be viewed online at:
http://www.slideshare.net/EDeniseSorkness/bor-ga-bill-amendment-19-may-2016-62205816
*it is also attached
*The Power Point includes recent article by Janel Davis, AJC Reporter, link below, re USG college presidents’ salary increases and “A Letter to the People of Georgia: Your Higher Education is in Crisis”by Dr. William Gary Kline, Professor at Georgia Southwestern State University reported by Alan Wood, Global Watchdog:
Further confirmation of the fiscal malfeasance by the Board of Regents, Defendants of new GAGOP Delegate, Attorney General Sam Olens, was released by AJC Reporter, Janel Davis just this week:
★Auditors uncover more policy violations by Kennesaw State officials By Janel Davis June 7, 2016
★Outgoing Kennesaw State chief Papp broke financial rules, audit finds By Janel Davis June 3, 2016
In closing, while I was typing you this email, Adam, I received the response below from another very concerned Georgia Republican:
“I know for a fact that county elected officials can not serve as GOP officials at the county level. Why should it be different at the State level? When I heard Sam Olens was a delegate, I thought, Holy Cow!! What idiots!!”
We look forward to hearing from you regarding the questions above.
Denise Caldon Sorkness
http://www.linkedin.com/in/denisesorkness
Author: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018T30FNG
https://plus.google.com/112575828677989777623/about
Georgia Whistleblower Protection Act Case
CALDON V. BOARD OF REGENTS
Fulton County Superior Court – 2009-CV-165267
—–Original Message—–
From: Adam Pipkin <email>
To: Denise Caldon Sorkness <email>
Cc: gingerforga <email>
Sent: Tue, Jun 7, 2016 5:12 pm
Subject: RE: GAGOP DELEGATE Qualifications re Elected Officials (i.e., Attorney General Sam Olens)
Denise,
I’m not sure where you came up with that but elected officials can be delegates and have been for the past century.
Thanks,
Adam
Adam Pipkin | Executive Director
Georgia Republican Party
3110 Maple Dr. Suite 150 Atlanta, GA 30305
Office: 404.257.5559 | eFax: 404.257.0779
From: Denise Caldon Sorkness [email]
Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2016 4:53 PM
To: Adam Pipkin
Cc: email; email
Subject: GAGOP DELEGATE Qualifications re Elected Officials (i.e., Attorney General Sam Olens)
TO: Adam Pipkin, Executive Director
Georgia Republican Party
DATE: 6 June 2016
RE: GAGOP Delegate Qualification re Elected Officials
Following the election of GAGOP Delegates and Alternates this weekend, many Georgians became very concerned with the fact Georgia’s Attorney General Samuel S. Olens was elected as a Delegate for reasons we are more than willing to discuss privately or publicly.
One concerned Georgian stated, “state-elected officials are not eligible to be Delegates.”
Please confirm in writing: State-elected officials (i.e, Attorney General Sam Olens) qualify to be GAGOP Delegates according to Georgia Republican Party Guidelines and Compliances
Your assistance in confirming our concern is sincerely appreciated.
NOTE: We initially asked The Office of the Federal Register and The Secretary of the State – who stated we needed to contact the Georgia Republican Party. *See email responses below
We look forward to having your response in writing.
Thank you, Adam.
Denise
E. Denise Caldon Sorkness
Author: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018T30FNG
https://plus.google.com/112575828677989777623/about
—–Original Message—–
From: SOS Contact <soscontact@sos.ga.gov>
To: COTN712 <email>
Sent: Tue, Jun 7, 2016 2:26 pm
Subject: RE: Web E-Mail From E. Denise Caldon Sorkness
Thank you for contacting Georgia Secretary of State Brian P. Kemp.
This is a matter dealt with through the Georgia Republican Party. You will need to contact the party for further clarification. Thank you.
Regards,
Constituent Services Team
Brian P. Kemp
Georgia Secretary of State
404-656-2881 Main
www.sos.ga.gov<http://www.sos.ga.gov>
OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE
Thank You
Thank you for submitting your question or comment to the Office of Secretary of State.
We will respond to your inquiry as quickly as possible.
—–Original Message—–
From: Miriam Vincent <miriam.vincent@nara.gov>
To: Electoral College <Electoral.College@nara.gov>
Cc: electoral.college <electoral.college@nara.gov>; cotn712 <email>
Sent: Mon, Jun 6, 2016 8:07 am
Subject: Re: GAGOP Delegate Qualification Question
Ms. Sorkness,
The Office of the Federal Register has no knowledge of and no connection with the process for selecting state delegates to national conventions, regardless of the political party. Determining which candidate a political part will endorse depends on the rules of the national party. How delegates are selected (as well as any qualifications or restrictions) is determined by the rules of the national political party, the rules of the state branch of the political party, and the statutes and regulations of the individual states. However, none of that process is part of the Electoral College process and we know nothing about the processes the political parties and the states use, other than to assume that each state is different.
You need to contact the office that oversees elections for the state of Georgia. These offices are usually contained within the Office of the Secretary of State (http://sos.ga.gov/index.php/elections). You can find links to other election and voting resources on our site (http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/electoral-college/links.html).
Miriam Vincent
Staff Attorney
Legal Affairs and Policy Division
Office of the Federal Register
National Archives and Records Administration
On Sunday, June 5, 2016 at 5:09:43 PM UTC-4, Denise Caldon Sorkness wrote:
TO: Office of the Federal Register
FROM: E. Denise Caldon Sorkness
DATE: 5 June 2016
RE: GAGOP Delegate Qualification
Following the election of GAGOP Delegates and Alternates this weekend, many Georgians are very concerned with the fact Georgia’s Attorney General Samuel S. Olens was elected as a Delegate for reasons I am more than willing to discuss privately.
One concerned Georgian stated, “state-elected officials are not eligible to be Delegates.”
QUESTION: Are State-elected Attorney Generals eligible to be Delegates?
Your assistance in answering this question is sincerely appreciated.
E. Denise Caldon Sorkness
http://www.linkedin.com/in/denisesorkness
Author: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018T30FNG
https://plus.google.com/112575828677989777623/about