Accountability file

Record & events

• resignation: He refused to resign as secretary of state while campaigning for governor, which stirred controversy and accusations of abuse of power from Democrats. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• resignation: Kemp narrowly won the general election and resigned as secretary of state shortly thereafter. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: Abrams refused to concede and accused Kemp of voter suppression and of stealing the election from her, which he denied. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• charge: After the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, he faced criticism from President Donald Trump for following the state law that required him to certify the results, despite Trump's repeated false claims of fraud in the election. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• resignation: After narrowly winning the 2018 gubernatorial election, Kemp resigned as secretary of state in anticipation of becoming governor. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: In August 2016, amid Russian attempts to disrupt the 2016 elections, Kemp said that an intrusion by Russian hackers into voting systems was "not probable at all, the way our systems are set up" and accused federal officials of exaggerati… (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• charge: The 2018 indictment against Russian hackers (as part of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe into 2016 interference) said that the Russian hackers targeted county websites in Georgia. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• investigation: A DHS inspector general investigation found there was no hacking, but rather it was "the result of normal and automatic computer message exchanges generated by the Microsoft applications involved." Exposure of personal voter data In Oc… (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: Kemp denied responsibility, instead saying researchers at Kennesaw State University, who managed the system, had acted "in accordance with standard IT procedures" in deleting the data. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: Republican State Senator Renee Unterman said that there "appears to be a direct connection between campaign support from Massage Envy franchisees in exchange for non-action and suppression" and asked U.S. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• investigation: Pak to investigate "what seems to be a quid pro quo scheme being perpetrated through the secretary of state's office and the Kemp for governor campaign." Kemp said that he had done nothing illegal. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: In response, Unterman said she would not be "intimidated, blackmailed, belittled, or sexually harassed" into silence. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: Kemp denied engaging in voter suppression, stating that he was following federal and state law to update voter rolls with accurate information. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: Bullock III told The Washington Post that claims of a stolen election were "not based on fact but will continue to be articulated by Abrams since it helps mobilize her supporters", while Richard Hasen took issue with Kemp's job performan… (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: Under the system, eligible Georgians were dropped from voter rolls for an errant hyphen or if "a stray letter or a typographical error on someone's voter registration card didn't match the records of the state's driver's license bureau o… (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: Ross said the system places a "severe burden" on voters. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: Kemp denied knowledge of the plan, but a slide from a presentation given by the consultant read, "Consolidation has come highly recommended by the Secretary of State and is already being adopted by several counties and is being seriously… (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: On a single night in July 2017, half a million voters, about 8% of all registered Georgia voters, had their registrations canceled, an act The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said "may represent the largest mass disenfranchisement in US his… (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• investigation: An investigative journalism group run by Greg Palast found that, of the approximately 534,000 Georgians whose voter registrations were purged between 2016 and 2017, more than 334,000 still lived where they were registered. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• charge: Kemp's office denied any wrongdoing, saying that by "regularly updating our rolls, we prevent fraud and ensure that all votes are cast by eligible Georgia voters." After Totenberg's ruling, thousands of voting machines were sequestered b… (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: In a leaked 2018 recording, he said that attempts to register all eligible voters "continues to concern us, especially if everybody uses and exercises their right to vote." In a separate 2018 recording made by a progressive group he said… (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• investigation: If they can do that, they can win these elections in November." On November 4, 2018, 48 hours before his gubernatorial election, the secretary of state's office published the details of a zero day flaw in the state registration website, … (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: Critics have said the announcement was further evidence of voter suppression and gave hackers a window of opportunity during which voter registration records could be changed. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: In response to criticisms of the announcement, Kemp said, "I'm not worried about how it looks. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: I'm doing my job." In a ruling on the matter, Totenberg criticized Kemp for having "delayed in grappling with the heightened critical cybersecurity issues of our era posed [by] the state's dated, vulnerable voting system" and said the sy… (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• investigation: Their unsubstantiated claims came at a pivotal moment, as voters were making their final decisions in an election that had attracted intense national attention." Congressional investigation On December 4, 2018, U.S. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: to us why is it fair for wanting to be secretary of state and be running [for governor]," Cummings said. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• investigation: On March 6, 2019, it was revealed that both Kemp and his successor as secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, were under investigation by the House Oversight and Reform Committee for alleged voter suppression in the 2018 elections. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• investigation: Cummings oversaw the investigation. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• investigation: Kemp was given until March 20, 2019, to comply with document requests or face a subpoena. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: Governor of Georgia Gubernatorial elections 2018 The primary elections were held on May 22, 2018, and a primary runoff was held on July 24, 2018, between Republican candidates Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle; Kemp prevailed… (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: During the general election campaign, Kemp provoked controversy with multiple ads, including one in which he posed with rifles and a shotgun that he jokingly pointed at a teenager who "wanted to date his daughter", and one in which he sa… (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: The lack of proper gun safety in handling the shotgun in the "Jake" ad attracted criticism from the National Law Enforcement Partnership to Prevent Gun Violence, which said the ad "delivers a message perpetuating domestic violence and mi… (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• disposition: Kemp's supporters, by contrast, viewed the ad as a "lighthearted portrayal of a protective, gun-wielding Southern father vetting a potential suitor", and Kemp dismissed the criticism, telling critics, "Get over it." In the November 6 gen… (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• resignation: The next morning, he resigned as Secretary of State. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• resignation: Key appointments After Johnny Isakson announced that he would resign from the U.S. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: As he issued the order, Kemp said he had become aware the coronavirus could be spread by asymptomatic people only that day, despite warnings from health officials made months earlier. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: "Today is not the day for politics or policy", he said. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: Relationship with Donald Trump In a November 2020 Fox News interview, Donald Trump said he was "ashamed" of having supported Kemp's 2018 gubernatorial campaign. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan put out a joint statement explaining that calling a joint session of the Georgia General Assembly to appoint their own electors to send to the United States Electoral College would be unconstitut… (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• resignation-call: In December 2020, Trump called for Kemp's resignation. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: In March 2021, Kemp said he would support Trump if he ran for president again in 2024. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: In June, he said he did not vote for Trump in the state's primary (Trump was the only active candidate), but made clear he would support him in November and work to elect him. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• statement: Labor unions In 2024, Kemp joined five other Republican governors (Kay Ivey, Tate Reeves, Henry McMaster, Bill Lee, and Greg Abbott) in a statement opposing the United Auto Workers unionization campaign. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• disposition: The company was under investigation after making guarantees using assets it did not own and repaying suppliers using proceeds from insurance settlements. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]
• charge: An attorney for the Georgia Department of Agriculture said these actions "may be a felony under Georgia law." No charges were filed, and Kemp and the plaintiff reached a settlement shortly before he became governor. (as of 2026-07-18T01:49:15.422Z) — Wikipedia [cc-attribution]