(The Center Square) – Georgia Republican U.S. Senate candidate Derek Dooley took a jab from U.S. Rep. Mike Collins on immigration, while Dooley took a swipe of his own, bringing up a House ethics inquiry into his competitor.
The two fielded questions from each other and a panel of journalists in an Atlanta Press Club debate Sunday. They are competing in the June 16 runoff to challenge Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff in November.
Collins accused Dooley of being "sensitive to both sides" on illegal immigration based on statements Dooley made in interviews.
Dooley did say he was "sensitive to both sides of the issue in an interview with WXAI, but also said, "We don't want any illegal immigration at all." He said during the debate that he didn't support amnesty for people who came to the U.S. illegally.
"My frustration is that we've got to stay prioritized on getting all these illegal immigrants out who are wreaking havoc on our communities," Dooley said. "They're grifting on our government, but the more important thing is Mike, a Congress that you're a part of has not done anything in 35, 40 years to fix this broken immigration system and it's time we do something to put America first."
Collins said families "harmed by illegal immigrants deserve somebody that's going to stand up for them, not someone who has the same immigration policies as Jon Ossoff."
Dooley questioned Collins about a U.S. House Ethics Commission probe into Collins' use of congressional resources to pay an intern who "did not perform duties commensurate with the compensation the employee received," according to the House report.
The Ethics Committee recommended further investigation because "there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Collins discriminated unfairly by dispensing special favors or privileges by retaining an employee with whom his Chief of Staff had a personal relationship."
Collins called the Ethics Committee actions a "nothing burger."
"It's a complaint. It's the same thing I answered in the last debate twice," Collins said. "And anybody can file a complaint."
Collins said on social media that he fired a staff member who made a comment on social media about a man's wife who accused Matt Laurer, the former host of "Today," of sexually assaulting her.
He did not identify the staff member, but the Atlanta Journal-Constitution identified him as Brandon Phillips, who is listed in the House Ethics report as Collins's chief of staff. Collins was asked why he kept Phillips on staff for so long.
"I'm proud of the work that my team has done. They're part of the reason I've been able to go to Washington, D.C. and be successful," Collins said in his answer without mentioning Phillips. "But when they fall short of exepctations, as the businessman that I am, I've taken actions to correct that."
Both candidates said they supported President Donald Trump's actions in Iran, and both support term limits. Trump has not endorsed a candidate in the race. Gov. Brian Kemp endorsed Dooley.
Dooley called himself a political outsider who doesn't see the office as a long-term political career or a way to get rich or famous.
"And unlike Mike, I'm never going to take a check during a government shutdown and I'm going to fight every day to take away Congress's pay and their privileges when they don't do their job," Dooley said during his closing statement of the debate.
Collins said most of the federal problems come from a "broken Senate."
"And 30 years in the trucking industry allowed me to be successful in passing two pieces of legislation, signed into law by two presidents of different parties," Collins said. "I never sold out my conservative values to do this."
Early voting for the runoff begins June 8.
