ATLANTA — Two big contributors to Governor Brian Kemp's campaign were among the governor’s newest appointees to the Board of Regents.
No law says the governor can’t appoint big-money contributors to the Board of Regents, but it's raising eyebrows.
The Board of Regents governs the University System of Georgia – covering Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia and 26 other colleges and universities.
Tom Bradbury, a homebuilder and turf farmer, and Tim Evans, a construction contractor, are two of the newest regents. In the months before their appointments to the board by Gov. Brian Kemp, Kemp’s re-election campaign benefited from some generous contributions from the pair, their family members and businesses.
According to state disclosures, Bradbury, his wife and his company gave $250,000 to the Georgians First Leadership Committee, a political action committee backing Gov. Kemp. And Evans, his company and his son gave Kemp’s campaign fund contributions of more than $51,000. Combined, the take for Kemp was $301,400.
"It looks like something akin to 'pay to play,'" said Dr. Andra Gillespie, an Emory University political scientist.
Gillespie says governors often appoint their donors to state boards. But these contributions could cause some trouble for Kemp’s re-election.
"I think this is something where somebody should have considered the optics before Gov. Kemp made this particular decision," Gillespie said.
The Board of Regents has 19 members – 14 of them white men. Most of them are well-heeled businessmen. They recently ratified Kemp’s choice of former Governor Sonny Perdue as the university chancellor.
“Both individuals singled out in this story are accomplished businessmen who bring a wealth of real-world experience to the Board of Regents," Kemp campaign spokesman Cody Hall wrote to 11Alive News. "Any insinuation to the contrary is completely false election-year mud-slinging that voters are sick and tired of.”
Evans and Bradbury did not return phone messages left by 11Alive News.