{"id":24302,"date":"2022-11-28T12:26:17","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T20:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=24302"},"modified":"2022-11-28T12:26:20","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T20:26:20","slug":"carpetbagger-charges-fly-as-georgia-gop-senate-candidate-walkers-texas-tax-break-exposed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2022\/11\/28\/carpetbagger-charges-fly-as-georgia-gop-senate-candidate-walkers-texas-tax-break-exposed\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Carpetbagger&#8217; Charges Fly as Georgia GOP Senate Candidate Walker&#8217;s Texas Tax Break Exposed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/banner_image_1x_xl\/public\/2022-10\/GettyImages-1240865968-herschel-walker.jpg?h=b3aaa5e5&amp;itok=Dy1sizDC\" alt=\"Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks at an event\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks at a rally on May 23, 2022 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo: Megan Varner\/Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Democratic opponent Sen. Raphael Warnock asked, &#8220;How can Herschel Walker represent Georgians when he doesn&#8217;t even claim our great state as his primary residence?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/article_author\/public\/2021-06\/brett-wilkins-200x200.jpg?h=55541bb6&amp;itok=st0jtEJy\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.commondreams.org\/author\/brett-wilkins\">BRETT WILKINS<\/a>  November 23, 2022  (CommonDreams.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Republican U.S. Senate hopeful<\/strong>&nbsp;Herschel Walker is the beneficiary of a tax break meant for permanent Texas residents\u2014a possible violation of both Texas law and residency rules for voting and political candidacy in Georgia,&nbsp;<em>CNN<\/em>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2022\/11\/23\/politics\/kfile-herschel-walker-texas-tax-break-georgia-runoff\/index.html\">reported<\/a>&nbsp;Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Records reviewed by the network show Walker benefited from Texas&#8217; homestead tax exemption, shaving approximately $1,200 off his 2021 tax bill on his $3 million home in the Dallas-Ft. Worth suburb of Westlake.&nbsp;<em>The Texas Tribune<\/em>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2022\/11\/23\/herschel-walker-texas-tax-break\/\">reports<\/a>&nbsp;the former NFL star is expected to apply for the discount again this year, and would likely save about $1,500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reacting to the report, incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock\u2014who will face Walker in a December 6 runoff after neither candidate received 50% of the vote in this month&#8217;s midterm election\u2014asked on Twitter, &#8220;How can Herschel Walker represent Georgians when he doesn&#8217;t even claim our great state as his primary residence?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">How can Herschel Walker represent Georgians when he doesn&#39;t even claim our great state as his primary residence?  <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UR6ezwUYm4\">https:\/\/t.co\/UR6ezwUYm4<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Reverend Raphael Warnock (@ReverendWarnock) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ReverendWarnock\/status\/1595492261101543425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 23, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/comptroller.texas.gov\/taxes\/property-tax\/exemptions\/residence-faq.php\">According to<\/a>&nbsp;the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, &#8220;only a homeowner&#8217;s principal residence qualifies&#8221; for the break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As&nbsp;<em>CNN<\/em>&nbsp;detailed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\"><p>Questions have swirled around Walker&#8217;s residency since he actively began exploring the possibility of a Senate run in Georgia last year, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.georgiademocrat.org\/new-georgia-republican-senate-candidates-take-aim-at-walkers-texas-residency\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Democrats<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.11alive.com\/article\/news\/politics\/residency-factors-into-walkers-senate-decision\/85-33ec1212-59e4-4311-9096-5a88086f9260\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Republicans<\/a>&nbsp;alike hit Walker over the issue.<\/p><p>To run for office and vote in Georgia,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/codes\/georgia\/2020\/title-21\/chapter-2\/article-6\/section-21-2-217\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">15 rules<\/a>, not all of which need to be met, are&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usnews.com\/news\/best-states\/georgia\/articles\/2021-08-19\/investigation-opened-into-herschel-walkers-wifes-residency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">considered<\/a>&nbsp;for establishing residency, which include where the resident takes their homestead tax exemption and where they intend to live permanently. The U.S. Constitution&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/constitution.congress.gov\/browse\/article-1\/section-2\/clause-2\/#:~:text=No%20Person%20shall%20be%20a,which%20he%20shall%20be%20chosen.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">only requires<\/a>&nbsp;a potential senator to be an inhabitant of their state when elected.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;The state Supreme Court said that a homestead exemption alone was not dispositive evidence that could disqualify a candidate,&#8221; Anthony Michael Kreis, a law professor at Georgia State University, told&nbsp;<em>CNN<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;At the end of the day, this is more of a political problem than a legal one in all likelihood&#8230; where Walker can be painted as a carpetbagger,&#8221; Kreis added. &#8220;It does call into question whether Walker&#8217;s change of residency was made in good faith.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Indeed, comparisons with failed Republican Senate aspirant Dr. Mehmet Oz\u2014who Democratic U.S. Sen.-elect John Fetterman&#8217;s campaign successfully framed as a New Jersey opportunist out of touch with the Pennsylvanians he sought to represent\u2014were filling Twitter feeds following publication of the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">As a wholesome delegate for the state of Texas, we graciously pass Herschel Walker, along with a side of pecan pie, to our gracious neighbors in New Jersey. May he find safe refuge with the mystical wizard of Oz in the garden state. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dMY7aDdrUi\">https:\/\/t.co\/dMY7aDdrUi<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Isaiah Martin (@isaiahrmartin) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/isaiahrmartin\/status\/1595555216891461632?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 23, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Charles Kuck, a professor at Emory University School of Law in Atlanta,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ckuck\/status\/1595484441140285440\">tweeted<\/a>: &#8220;Herschel Walker is a liar, a carpetbagger, and a moron. Please vote responsibly. #VoteWarnock.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker speaks at a rally on May 23, 2022 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo: Megan Varner\/Getty Images) Democratic opponent Sen. Raphael Warnock asked, &#8220;How can Herschel Walker represent Georgians when he doesn&#8217;t even claim our great state as his primary residence?&#8221; BRETT WILKINS November 23, 2022&#8230; <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2022\/11\/28\/carpetbagger-charges-fly-as-georgia-gop-senate-candidate-walkers-texas-tax-break-exposed\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24302"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24302"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24302\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24303,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24302\/revisions\/24303"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24302"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24302"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24302"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}