State Rep. Billy Mitchell Responds To AJC Article

Earlier this week, the AJC ran an article that suggested some impropriety on the part of DeKalb state Rep. Billy Mitchell regarding his work for a payday lending company Community Loans of America Inc., where he serves as V.P. of Government Relations(Read the article "Ga. rep's trip was lobbying to some"). Below is a letter penned by state Rep. Mitchell to members of the House Democratic Caucus in response to the article

Dear Fellow Caucus Members:

The article entitled "Legislator's visit on behalf of company raises ethics issue" (4/21/08, Atlanta Journal Constitution) casts a false light that gives the reader a wrong impression and I will be following up with a response to the editor.

First of all, the article indicates that I "visited the Louisiana legislature last week on behalf of a lending company trying to kill a bill to cap interest rates on payday loans." As I indicated to the reporter (although apparently not very well), I was at the Louisiana capitol meeting with contract lobbyists along with the president of our company on a host of issues. Meeting with contract lobbyists is a very small and indirect part of my responsibilities and Pay Day lending is a very small part of a division of the company's business. Our contract lobbyists represent any number of issues for our company and many others. The fact that Pay Day lending was going to be discussed on that day was NOT the reason I was there! There were many issues being deliberated upon which is typical of most legislatures and I was no more than a casual observer on any of them - at best!

Furthermore, according to Louisiana law as has now been confirmed with The Atlanta Journal, even if I had done exactly as was described in the article it would have been ethical and legal and I would not be considered a lobbyist.

Second of all, the article indicates that in March 2007 I "voted for a bill to legalize payday lending in Georgia." and "Three months later, Community Loans of America hired him." This gives the impression that there was some quid pro quo, when the reality is, this bill was subsequently reconsidered and I did NOT vote for it then. The article makes no mention that the debate on this issues was intense and that the bill, as was offered, received support across racial, party and geographic lines. It makes little mention that I was not an employee or even being considered for employment at that time. Furthermore in my time in the legislature, at least on 5 different occasions have we had the opportunity to vote on this and related issues and I've only voted for it that one time!

The article further states that I have registered as a lobbyist representing the company in Virginia. While that is accurate, because of Virginia law, it certainly is not for this issue, as previously indicated, I represent a different division of the company's interests. The paper leaves the reader an impression that is for a sub-prime lending issue.

It is important to emphasize, that I am employed by a large company that owns a small interest in Sub-Prime lending which I am indirectly involved. I have neither received a single contribution nor given a single contribution to anyone involved in the industry. I have even consistently voted against such issues. Despite the impression of this article, I have done and will not do anything illegal, unethical or immoral involving this or any other issue. I will always consider service to my constituents paramount.

If the writer had done just a little research he would have had this information prior to, and therefore would have found that this was a non-issue.

Yours Very Truly,

Representative Billy Mitchell