Atlanta Unfiltered

Casey Cagle refunded more than $1 million in campaign donations after dropping out of the Georgia governor’s race in April. Then, often on the same day, hundreds of contributors gave more than a half-million dollars back to support Cagle’s re-election as lieutenant governor.

Financial disclosure records filed today show Cagle returned $1.07 million to 661 supporters of his gubernatorial campaign. Virtually all of the transactions were recorded between April 21 and 28, about a week after the lieutenant governor ended his campaign.

The lieutenant governor, citing back problems that required surgery, chose to run for re-election instead. Campaign disclosures show that donors receiving refunds from his campaign for governor turned around and gave about $517,000 to his committee for re-election.

Of that amount, about $340,000 was re-donated to Cagle’s lieutenant governor’s campaign in a three-day period, April 21-23, the disclosures show. About $72,000 more came back in May and $98,000 in June, Cagle’s campaign reported.