A U.S. Senate committee has approved businesswoman and former Georgia U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler to lead the Small Business Administration under President Donald Trump’s second administration.
Then-Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue share the stage at a campaign event in Forsyth County in November 2020. Both are now set to serve in the second Trump administration. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
Loeffler will still need approval from the full Senate for confirmation.
Prior to entering politics, Loffler was best known as co-owner of the Atlanta Dream WNBA team, but she’s had experience in numerous sectors of the economy. Her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, is CEO of the Atlanta-based Intercontinental Exchange, which owns the New York Stock Exchange. In 2022, Forbes reported he was officially a billionaire.
Loeffler was appointed to the Senate by Gov. Brian Kemp at the end of 2019 after then-Sen. Johnny Isakson stepped down because of his declining health.
At the time, Loeffler was considered a business-friendly figure who could appeal to moderate suburban voters who may have found Trump’s personality distasteful.
Her deep pockets likely didn’t hurt either – Loeffler was considered to be likely the richest senator during her time in office.
Loeffler and other senators came under fire for alleged insider trading after allegedly selling off significant amounts of stock after receiving confidential briefings on the seriousness of the expected COVID-19 pandemic.
The Senate Ethics Committee found no evidence of wrongdoing, but the allegations harmed her election campaign, which came soon after she took office because she was appointed rather than elected. Loeffler lost to Democrat Raphael Warnock in a runoff following Trump’s 2020 defeat.
Trump’s unfounded claims that the 2020 election was stolen likely also harmed Loeffler’s chances, but if she resented the former president, she never showed it.
Former Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler discusses her voting rights group, Greater Georgia, at a meeting of the Cobb County Young Republicans at Schoolhouse Brewing in Marietta. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
Loeffler and Sprecher poured millions into Trump-aligned groups, and Loeffler co-chaired his second inauguration committee.
Loeffler voted to confirm the results of the 2020 election as one of her final acts in office, saying at the time that she planned to vote the other way before witnessing the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. Her post-Senate work has included founding a voter registration and advocacy group called Greater Georgia.
During her confirmation hearing last week, Loeffler emphasized her roots and work with small businesses.
“Small business is in my DNA,” she said. “I grew up the fourth generation on our family’s farm in Illinois. My wonderful parents, Don and Linda, didn’t have degrees, but they had faith and grit. They worked relentlessly to sustain our farm and small trucking company, risking everything to provide for us while navigating volatile commodity markets and complex regulations, and facing countless day-to-day challenges. It’s where my Midwestern work ethic was ingrained, working in our soybean fields and waiting tables at local restaurants, preparing me for a lifetime of growing and starting businesses.”
Rep. Mike Cheokas. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
Americus Republican state Rep. Mike Cheokas, who chairs the House Small Business Development Committee, said Loeffler’s business acumen and Georgia ties will mean good news for Georgia’s small business owners.
“I think the fit is perfect, and it’s kind of a pat on the back for the state of Georgia to have the head of the Small Business Administration coming from the state of Georgia and a former senator, and a very successful entrepreneur,” he said.
“It puts Georgia way ahead of everybody else because she’s got to come back home here,” he added. “This is her home. She may be working in Washington, but this is home.”
If Loeffler ever gets lonely up in Washington, she may have some fellow Georgians to remind her of home, including Georgia Emergency Management Administration Director Chris Stallings, who is set to work for Loeffler as the Small Business Administration’s assistant administrator for disaster Recovery and Resilience.
As GEMA chief, Stallings oversaw response efforts for disasters including Hurricane Helene and other major storms and the COVID-19 pandemic.
GEMA Director Chris Stallings at a Hurricane Helene briefing. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder
Loeffler could also have the chance to reconnect with her old frenemy former Congressman Doug Collins, another staunch Trump ally who was confirmed to head the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Tuesday.
Collins was Trump’s No. 1 choice to replace Isakson. He dropped out of Congress to mount a bid for Loeffler’s seat in 2020, but he came in third place in a crowded and acrimonious jungle-style primary that included name-calling and accusations of liberal tendencies.
Collins was confirmed by the U.S. Senate this week with a 77-23 vote. Warnock and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff both supported Collins’ confirmation.
Two more Georgians with strong Trump ties are set to serve far from the Peach State or Washington.
Former Sen. David Perdue, who served in the Senate alongside Loeffler before losing in the same runoff to Sen. Jon Ossoff, was tapped by Trump as ambassador to China. Perdue has echoed Trump’s false election fraud claim and was hand-picked by the former president to challenge Kemp in 2022 when the president and the governor were on the outs.
Then-rivals Rep.Doug Collins and Sen. Kelly Loeffler speak to reporters and supporters after a 2020 Trump rally. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder.
And former football star Herschel Walker could be spending time in the sunny Bahamas as the U.S. ambassador there. Walker ran an unsuccessful campaign against Warnock for Loeffler’s old seat in 2022 but fell short despite Trump’s endorsement.
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Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor John McCosh for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com.
Fort Benning’s name has officially been restored after a two-year stint as Fort Moore that was part of a national move away from Confederate namesakes.
But the Pentagon says the Army post near Columbus is now named for a different Benning – World War I veteran Fred Benning of Nebraska, an Army corporal who enlisted when he was 17 and served in the First Infantry Division. Originally, Confederate Brig. Gen. Henry L. Benning, who fought to preserve slavery, was the Benning being honored.
New signage was unveiled Wednesday during a renaming ceremony at the base, which is one of the country’s largest installations. Fred Benning’s granddaughter was there, sharing memories of her grandfather.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo renaming the base last month, saying at the time in a short video statement that “now Fort Benning is back too.” The move followed the return of Fort Bragg’s name in North Carolina, in that case going with Pfc. Roland L. Bragg, a World War II veteran, as the new namesake instead of Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg.
The updated names had been the work of a commission on renaming bases honoring Confederates created by Congress, and that commission was part of a defense authorization bill that had enough support in 2020 to override President Donald Trump’s veto during his first term.
Georgia’s Fort Gordon near Augusta was also renamed Fort Eisenhower in 2023 after General of the Army and U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower as part of that push. The original name had honored John B. Gordon, a major general in the Confederate army who went on to serve as Georgia governor and U.S. senator.
In 2023, Fort Benning had been renamed Fort Moore in honor of Lt. Gen. Hal and Julia Moore. During the Vietnam War, while Hal Moore was deployed, Julia worked to change the way the U.S. military handled death notifications. At the time, they were delivered by cabbies carrying a telegram. The couple is buried at the post’s military cemetery.
“Both Hal and Julia Moore remarkably served our country and raised the standard of excellence in the United States Army for servicemen and civilian spouses alike. I am proud that a military base in Georgia was chosen to bear their name, even briefly,” state Sen. Ed Harbison, a Columbus Democrat and military veteran, said shortly after the renaming was announced.
Others were more critical of the change.
“The American people understand the legacy connected to the original name, and Secretary Hegseth’s disingenuous attempt to associate it to a separate soldier is transparent and distasteful,” Margaret Huang, president and CEO Southern Poverty Law Center, said in response to the news last month.
Maj. Gen. Colin Tuley, who is the commanding general of the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, said in public remarks Wednesday that Fred Benning’s life will serve as an inspiration for the thousands of soldiers who train there every year.
Fred Benning was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for “extraordinary heroism in action” in 1918 south of Exermont, France. He took command after his platoon commander was killed and two senior non-commissioned officers were injured. When he returned home, he operated a bakery and later served as mayor of Neligh, Nebraska.
“As we rededicate this post in his honor, may we all strive to embody the very same tenets he exemplified: unwavering dedication to people, inspirational leadership, a relentless pursuit of transformation,” Tuley said. “(His) story reminds us that true heroism is not just defined by rank. It is about that unwavering courage, that selfless service and an enduring commitment to something greater than ourselves.”
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Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor John McCosh for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com.
www.youtube.com – FOX 5 Atlanta – 2025-04-15 19:32:06
SUMMARY: Federal authorities in Georgia announced a major drug bust, potentially saving millions of lives. The operation, ongoing for a year, involved drug traffickers funneling millions of dollars to Mexico. Five individuals were arrested in Norcross for drug trafficking and money laundering. The group allegedly laundered proceeds through a money services business. Agents seized over 100 pounds of fentanyl, $3,000 in suspected drug money, and firearms, making 22 arrests. Two brothers connected to the operation are believed to be in Mexico, and authorities are offering $8 million in rewards for information leading to their capture. More busts are expected.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon announced a drug bust in Georgia they say potentially saved millions of lives. Federal authorities also announced two multi-million-dollar rewards for alleged drug kingpins they believe have orchestrated drug trafficking and money laundering in our state and across the country.
FOX 5 Atlanta delivers breaking news, live events, investigations, politics, entertainment, business news and local stories from metro Atlanta, north Georgia and across the nation.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-15 11:38:00
(The Center Square) – Georgia taxpayers qualifying for a tax rebate signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday should see the money in six to eight weeks, according to the state Department of Revenue.
The $1 billion tax cut will give $500 to married filers, $250 to single filers and $375 to those who file as head of household, according to the bill passed by the General Assembly earlier this month. Taxpayers must have filed in 2023 and 2024 and had a tax liability.
Kemp also signed a bill that would reduce the state’s flat tax to 5.19%, which would return $880 million to taxpayers, he said. The state is reducing the number by 0.1% until it reaches 4.99%.
“While other states are running up budget deficits and raising taxes on their citizens, we’re investing in the priorities of our state while further cutting taxes and returning more than a billion dollars to hardworking Georgians,” Kemp said. “That’s on top of the tax relief we’ve given in prior years and is a direct result of our conservative budgeting.”
Georgia’s neighbors to the north and south, Tennessee and Florida, do not tax income, which has prompted conversations about eliminating Georgia’s income tax.
Georgia makes about $16 billion annually from income taxes, Senate Appropriations Chairman Blake Tillery, R-Vidialla, said when presenting the budget during the last days of the 2025 session.
Taxing other items could eliminate the state sales tax, he said.
Taxing services, which Texas does, could bring in $12.2 billion, which could “almost eliminate the income tax overnight,” Tillery said. Texas does not have a state income tax.
