Former NFL and University of Georgia star Herschel Walker is former President Donald Trump's personal pick for the 2024 Senate race in Georgia, but he's already in the midst of a scandal.
Walker's wife, Julie Blanchard, voted in Georgia's election for President last fall despite the fact they live in Texas. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution broke the story, which noted under most circumstances, it is illegal for non-residents to vote in Georgia.
According to election records, Blanchard listed her Atlanta address on her absentee ballot mailed in October from the couple's Westlake, Texas, home. However, Georgia state law makes clear residency is based on where a voter's "habitation is fixed," an those who move out of state lose their eligibility to vote there.
The couple received a homestead exemption on their property taxes after purchasing their Texas property in 2011; Blanchard did not claim a homestead exemption on her Fulton County, Georgia property last year.
When reached for comment, Blanchard appeared to express ignorance about the law.
"If we're residents in both places, is that legally wrong? If you have multiple homes, you can't vote where you have a home?"
The answer to that, of course, is "no," because a person's vote can only be counted once. A person who owns multiple properties and votes wherever they have a home is committing voter fraud.
The situation is a particularly embarrassing one for Walker, who has pushed many of the ex-President's lies about voter fraud. During last year's election, Walker was insistent that "Anyone manipulating this election should be prosecuted."
Play by the rules.....the American people demand ONLY LEGAL BALLOTS be counted. Anyone manipulating this election should be prosecuted.— Herschel Walker (@Herschel Walker) 1604507033
The irony was not lost on his critics.
Oh man. The call is coming from inside the house\u2026\n\nHerschel Walker\u2019s wife, who also lives in Texas, voted in Georgia using an absentee ballot.\n\nThey have a homestead exemption for the Texas home. It\u2019s potentially illegal.\n\nGreat find by @markniesse!https://www.ajc.com/politics/walkers-wife-voted-in-georgia-as-couple-lives-in-texas-records-show/YCYYMDRYXBBTPCHMQUN36HWEKE/\u00a0\u2026— stephen fowler (@stephen fowler) 1628595084
Herschel Walker's wife voted in the Georgia election while she was living in Texas.\n\nShouldn't she be prosecuted?\n"Play by the rules..."https://twitter.com/HerschelWalker/status/1324024578763558913\u00a0\u2026— Really American \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Really American \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1628609555
Not even elected and Herschel Walker is already skirting the edge of legality. Of course he\u2019s running as Republican.https://twitter.com/stphnfwlr/status/1425057186636607489\u00a0\u2026— L Tohill (@L Tohill) 1628602635
Ooooh, @HerschelWalker \u2014-not a good look.https://twitter.com/bluestein/status/1425034437386031126\u00a0\u2026— ep (@ep) 1628622526
The scandal is only the latest to befall Walker, who in recent weeks has faced scrutiny regarding past violent behavior, including a 2005 death threat he leveled at his ex-wife and her boyfriend.
He also appears to be falling from the good graces of the Georgia Republican Party, whose elite members expressed impatience as they wait for him to make a decision on whether or not to challenge sitting Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock.
@jaketapoer/Bluesky
@BillAckman/Twitter