For Immediate Release
July 7, 2010
Contact Rob Teilhet
(770) 514-0103

Ken Hodges Lies About Endorsements… Again
Ken Hodges touts the endorsement of Bibb County Sheriff Jerry Modena
and Ambassador Andrew Young—two endorsements he never received

Smyrna, GA —Ken Hodges' latest list of endorsements may seem extensive—if they were all legitimate. Bibb County Sheriff Jerry Modena was surprised to find his name on a list of endorsements put out by Attorney General Candidate Ken Hodges yesterday because he never endorsed him. Sheriff Modena is a powerful figure in Bibb County politics and he and his wife have contributed to the Teilhet campaign.

This is not the first time Ken Hodges' campaign has claimed endorsements he didn't have. Earlier this year, the Hodges camp proclaimed the endorsement of Ambassador Andrew Young. He displayed the endorsement on his website, in press releases and on all of his campaign literature—including mailers sent to voters. AJC reporter Jim Galloway, after seeing that Ambassador Young had written a check to Hodges' opponent Rob Teilhet, asked the former Ambassador if he had in fact endorsed Ken Hodges. Ambassador Young replied, ““I took a picture with him. But the picture that I took with him really was at Joe Lowery's retirement. It didn't constitute a formal endorsement.”

The Teilhet campaign questions the legitimacy of several other endorsers listed, but have only just begun calling through them.

“You don't gain the trust of voters by lying to them,” said Teilhet campaign manager Rebecca DeHart. “Georgia has had its fair share of politicians who have had no problem pulling the wool over the eyes of the voter. We don't need another one.”

Even after Ambassador Young confirmed he had not endorsed Hodges, the campaign still pretends that he has. In fact, Ken Hodges listed the Ambassador's name with Sheriff Modena's on his press release yesterday. And he paid to publish a picture of himself with Andrew Young in a leading African American newspaper, The Georgia Informer .

“This just goes to show that the Hodges campaign will say just about anything to get him elected with no regard to the truth. If we played by Hodges' rules, we could announce that the President of the United States himself has endorsed our campaign,” said DeHart. “I think these antics are more than little white lies. This is a barometer gauging how far someone will go for his own personal gain. And we learned, again, that Hodges has no problem lying to an entire state.”

Rob Teilhet's campaign for Attorney General announced a truthful endorsement yesterday, the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys . GABWA's endorsement adds to the campaign's growing list which includes endorsements from former prosecutor, Speaker of the House, Lt. Governor, appellate judge and Supreme Court Justice George T. Smith , the IBEW Local 613 , Marshal Greg Countryman of Muscogee County, former legislator and U.S. Senate candidate Jim Martin , DeKalb Solicitor General Robert James , Civil Rights Leaders Representative Tyrone Brooks and Elder Bill Harris , the Chairmen of the Legislative Black Caucus, Senator Emanuel Jones , eight Democratic State Senators , and over forty current and former Democratic members of the House of Representatives .

Teilhet's campaign for Attorney General focuses on protecting Georgia's children, crime prevention, ethics in government, and consumer protection.  Teilhet is widely known as a champion in the General Assembly for protecting Georgians from rip-offs and con artists.  He has been a reliable supporter of law enforcement and crime victims as a member of the House Judiciary Committee.  Teilhet has also consistently fought for stronger ethics laws.

Rob Teilhet (pronounced tuh-lay) has represented Smyrna and Marietta in the Georgia House of Representatives since his election in 2002 at the age of 28.  He is the Chief Deputy Whip of the House Democratic Caucus and serves on the Judiciary, Education, and Industrial Relations Committees.  He is a partner in the Marietta law firm of Rogers, Strimban & Teilhet.  More information about his campaign and other endorsements can be found at his website, www.robforgeorgia.com .

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Contact Campaign Headquarters at:
Teilhet for a Safer Georgia • PO Box 25 Marietta , GA 30061 • Phone: 770-514–0103