'Stole God's money': GOP corruption may upend swing state's Republican primary

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that retirees who fell victim to a far-reaching Republican Party-affiliated Ponzi scheme are poised to redirect the trajectory of the GOP primary in Georgia.

“At 93, retiree [Jay McMaster] spent a lifetime building a nest egg — starting as a boy shining shoes for 35 cents an hour at Woolworth’s, then saving carefully through decades of work in the food service industry,” reported AJC. “When his sister’s health began to fail, McMaster wanted to help cover her care. He invested a total of $1.3 million with First Liberty Building & Loan after hearing about the politically connected, Newman-based lender on conservative radio.”

But all that’s gone now, said AJC, wiped out in what federal regulators say was a $140 million Ponzi scheme. Now McMaster is sharing his story to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s (R) ongoing probe into the aftermath.

Raffensperger, who is in a crowded Republican race for governor, is leaning into his office’s probe into First Liberty and pushing ferociously against a Republican-majority legislative effort to strip his office of the authority to investigate the scheme.

Raffensperger’s staunch anti-corruption message — and his commitment as the sole Republican gubernatorial contender willing to address the scheme — could result in Georgia's next governor being the only Republican willing to stand against President Donald Trump after Trump pressured Georgia officials to reverse the state’s election results in 2020.

“I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have because we won the state,” Trump demanded of Raffensperger while ongoing tallies showed state voters soundly jettisoning Trump in the ballot count.

Raffensperger refused to give Trump his undeserved victory in 2020, and even retained an audio recording of Trump’s plea to give to investigators. For that betrayal, Trump endorsed Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones over Raffensperger in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Jones served as a fake elector in 2020 and has labored to undermine Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' election interference investigation Trump and several co-conspirators with a criminal conspiracy to steal Georgia's 2020 election.

Georgia Republicans are loathe to denounce the Ponzi scheme connected to Republican financier and First Liberty founder Brant Frost IV — or even address the topic. But Raffensperger is vocal about his willingness to investigate Republicans behind the scheme. And he is joined by the scheme’s many victims, who are vouching for him on the campaign trail.

“More than $300,000 in charitable or political contributions have been returned, but that’s a fraction of nearly $1.4 million in campaign donations tied to the Frost family that The Atlanta Journal-Constitution identified,” AJC reported.

The AJC also referenced 77-year-old retired electrical worker Thomas Todd, who invested $750,000 with First Liberty. He was even preparing to write another six-figure check when the company collapsed.

“I pray for them every day — every morning. They need those prayers. But they also need to pay for what they did.” Todd said of the Frost family, adding that his donations would have gone to churches and other religious charities had he not directed them to the Ponzi scheme.

“They didn’t steal from me,” said Todd. “They stole God’s money.”

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