Island for sale: Call Eric!
Jekyll Island is one of Georgia's greatest treasures, originally intended to be a place where Georgia's families can go for vacation without breaking the bank.
None of that matters to gubernatorial candidate Eric Johnson, however. As a member of the State Senate, Johnson spearheaded the effort to turn Georgia's coastal treasure over to developers, putting the island's fragile ecosystem at risk and giving the finger to people in the area who opposed selling Jekyll to the highest bidder.
In this case, the highest bidder was Linger Longer Properties, one of Johnson's biggest campaign donors.
But Johnson's record of favors for friends isn't just for big donors. As a State Senator, Johnson led the investigation into allegations that House Speaker Glenn Richardson had an inappropriate relationship with a lobbyist. Johnson's investigation exonerated the Speaker, but the allegations against him resurfaced, forcing his resignation in a cloud of disgrace.
- James Reynolds, III of Linger Longer Properties serves as Finance Chair for Johnson's gubernatorial campaign.1
- Johnson has received $2,000 so far in his campaign for Governor from Reynolds,2 and another $3,000 from Reynolds' company.3
- Johnson serves on the board of the Jekyll Island authority, which handed out a lucrative business deal to Reynolds' development company.
Johnson serves as a member of the Jekyll Island Authority,4 which awarded a controversial, 25-year no-competition development contract to Reynolds' company, Linger Longer Properties.5
1. Johnson for Governor news release, accessed 10/13/09
2. State Ethics Commission of Georgia, accessed 10/13/09
3. State Ethics Commission of Georgia, accessed 10/19/09
4. "Appointees disappoint islanders" Morris News Service: 07/19/2007
5. "Critic says Jekyll Island deal ‘stinks really, really bad’" Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 03/01/09
