Chris Carr takes care of business, campaigning during southwest Georgia stop

ALBANY — Georgia’s top law enforcer made a business/campaign stop in southwest Georgia Wednesday.

Attorney General Chris Carr told The Albany Herald he’s had no second thoughts about “doing my job” when supporters of former President Trump urged state officials to change election results that had been certified by three recounts and 16 judicial challenges and that finding ways to “protect people’s lives and livelihood” are the state’s primary concerns going into the next four years.

Carr is seeking a second full term in office and has so far drawn the challenge of Democrats Jen Jordan and Charlie Bailey, both Atlanta attorneys. He said while in southwest Georgia he plans to “meet with Dougherty County District Attorney Greg Edwards, a couple of sheriffs in the area and a group that is involved with my campaign.”

Carr said that, like every other American, his office was impacted by the coronavirus, and he and his staff have had to adapt.

“The virus did not stop criminals from committing crimes,” the attorney general said. “So we’ve had to stay vigilant. Although our plans were impacted by the virus, our (statewide) Security Threat Group (Gang) Unit and our efforts to impact Human Trafficking have been successful. We’ve rescued around 144 people who were being trafficked, we’re targeting 120 more, and we’ve had 18 indictments, I believe. We’ll send you the actual stats, but they show we’ve had some successes.

“Sure, the virus had an impact, but like everything else, you just have to put your head down and keep working. You just move on to the next thing.”

Carr said that getting out into other parts of the state is one of the things he likes best about campaigning for office.

“I love to be around people,” he said. “I like having the opportunity to sit down and have conversations, look people in the eye. I recognize that it’s a digital world now, but I enjoy getting together with business owners who put in the long hours to make their businesses work. I’m energized by that.”

As for Trump supporters’ attempts to sway Georgia officials during the presidential election, Carr said his decision to support the findings of the secretary of state’s office and various courts that heard challenges was simple.

“I stand on rule of law,” Carr said. “I was elected to do a job, which is to uphold the constitution of the United States and of the state of Georgia. I do believe that any viable complaints should be investigated, and that’s what we did. Sixteen times — by Trump judges and non-Trump judges — the complaints were looked into, and there was not enough evidence to overturn the election.”

And while Carr said he believes that politics has its place in government, it cannot be the deciding factor when rule of law is in question.

“First of all, you do what’s right,” he said. “Politics are important to our state and country, but politics can’t be the driving force when you hold public office. In the end, the government — serving the people who put you in office — is what matters.”

(See a more detailed account of the conversation with Attorney General Carr in Sunday’s Albany Herald.)

File Photo: Carlton Fletcher