Georgia elections officials say they're investigating a Bay County attorney after he tried to register to vote using his brother's address in an Atlanta suburb.
“Make no mistake, individuals who attempt to undermine the integrity of Georgia’s elections will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in a recent press release. “Those who move to Georgia just to vote in the Senate runoffs with no intention of staying are committing a felony that is punishable with jail time and hefty fines. They will be found, they will be investigated, and they will be punished.”
Personal injury lawyer Bill Price, who lives in Panama City Beach, explained his ultimate goal was to cast a ballot in the state's upcoming Senate runoff elections in a video that was posted online for more than three weeks.
Last week, WFSU News first shed light on a now-deleted Facebook live stream video in which Price told fellow GOP supporters at a local party meeting that he intended to register to vote at his brother's address located in Hiram, about 30 miles from Atlanta.
Price explained to fellow Republicans at the local party headquarters in Panama City that he intended to switch his voter registration back to Florida after the elections on Jan. 5.
"If I have to get a driver's license, I'm going to get a driver's license. I'm moving to Georgia, and I'm starting today,” Price said. “If they need mail, I’m going to have mail there. We are going to win back America. And we have to start in Georgia."
Price hasn't yet responded to a request for comment.
Bay County GOP Chairman Debbie Wood was at the meeting with Price. She later told WFSU News that she didn’t believe Price’s remarks were serious.
"He was on a high from you know just so much passion, so much commitment, and so much you know knowing-what-we’ve-got-to-do," Wood said. “He backed down after he'd thought about what he'd really said. But that's OK. It shows that people, Trump supporters - true Trump supporters - are passionate about what they believe. And we might misspeak from time to time.”
But Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has confirmed in a recent statement that Price actually tried registering to vote using his brother's address in Paulding County, but his application was still pending when the office began its investigation.
In Georgia, registering to vote with the intent of leaving after the election is a felony offense. Anyone who’s convicted could face up to 10 years in prison and up to a $100,000 fine.
Raffensperger also called out local attorney Bill Price for encouraging other GOP supporters to join him in registering to vote using his brother's address, which he shared several times.
"I’m inviting two million people to be my roommates if they want,” Price joked. “We’ll make room for you at the dinner table.”
His tone soon became more serious. "It’s only for a couple of months," he told fellow GOP supporters. "You might have to get some mail.”
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