Georgia’s GOP Senate Debate Turns Nasty as Two Congressmen Duke It Out: Go Google ‘Buddy Carter Ethics FBI’

Reps. Buddy Carter (R-GA) and Mike Collins (R-GA) got into a nasty spat during Sunday night’s Republican senatorial debate, with each accusing the other of blatant corruption while serving in the House.

Carter hammered Collins as the two exchanged blows, “Mike, we all know, as has been stated, that you’re under federal investigation by your own Republican colleagues for misuse of taxpayer funds and with your aid. If taxpayers can’t trust you to properly steward their money, how can they trust you to be a U.S. Senator?”

Collins hit back, “You know, Buddy, I can tell through the voice that you know how the polling is going out there. This is a total nothingburger. It’s an anonymous complaint that anyone can file.”

Collins and Carter are running a crowded GOP primary field to challenge incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), in what is widely seen as the best pick-up opportunity for the GOP come November. Collins and Carter lead the field in the latest polls with 27 and 24 percent of the vote, respectively, within the margin of error.

“But I find it ironic that a career politician is talking about ethics. In your career, it’s been littered with complaints and crooked land deals. You’ve even tripled your net worth. And all you got to do is go Google ‘Buddy Carter Ethics FBI,’ and you’ll see that. And I also find it very embarrassing, Buddy, that you’re out there campaigning as a conservative, but you vote as a liberal. I mean, you voted for gun confiscation and for amnesty for illegals. So if you want a conservative, he’s not your Buddy,” Collins shot back.

“Mr. Carter, you have a rebuttal?” offered the moderator.

“I do. Thanks for not answering the question. Mike, the proof is this is a bipartisan committee — the Ethics Committee. It’s made up of 10 people, five Republicans, five Democrats. And they voted unanimously to move forward with this. Mike, I get the rebuttal. Mike, if you’re our candidate, we lose. You’re under federal investigation. I’m telling you, the Democrats will eat that up, and we will lose again,” Carter insisted.

Collins replied, “The Ethics Committee has not even taken it up.”

“You get a rebuttal again,” offered the moderator.

“The Ethics Committee has decided to move forward with it. They will decide what they do with it later on. Yes, but the ten members, five Republicans, your own colleagues,” shot back Carter.

Watch the clip above.

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