CEDARTOWN, Ga. (AP) — A federal receiver is on the hunt to recover $140 million lost in an alleged Ponzi scheme that benefited some Republicans in the top ranks of their party in Georgia and Alabama. He’s looking to claw back funds, including almost 1,000 political donations totaling more than $1 million, that often backed far-right Republican insurgents.
Some of these same politicians say they too lost money, but others left holding the bag for First Liberty Building & Loan are rank-and-file conservatives, swayed by talk show pundits who promoted it as an opportunity for Christians and “America First MAGA patriots.”
“I worked my whole life to build up savings and have a little bit of retirement so I could just live comfortably,” said Michael Tinney, a 59-year-old real estate broker from Cedartown, Georgia. Tinney said he deposited $600,000 after hearing First Liberty pitched on shows hosted by conservatives including Erick Erickson, Hugh Hewitt and Charlie Kirk.
Read this story now for free
To continue reading, sign up for our newsletter and get unlimited access to WABE.org
You can select your preferences for news and local content. We will never share your email address. Learn how your newsletter sign-up will support WABE and Public Media
