Deal was elected to Congress as a Democrat in 1992 and later jumped to the GOP. Prior to that he served as a Democrat member of the Georgia Legislature from the Gainesville area... and this is where the story begins.

Georgia requires that any vehicle that is totaled and rebuilt must be inspected by the state before a new title will be issued. Originally a state inspector traveled to the repair facility where a car was located to do the inspection on site.

Around 1990 the program was changed by the state so that eight privately owned regional inspection facilities would be established. These new privately owned businesses would provide a location with a lift where the vehicles could be seen by inspectors who were still employed by the state.

Then State Legislator Nathan Deal and his business partner Ken Cronan opened Recovery Services in Athens... the first of these regional inspection facilities. According to the ethics complaint, neither the state nor Congressman Deal have been able or willing to provide any record or explanation of how the contracts to operate these facilities were awarded.

In the years since, Deal's Recovery Services has never had to compete or bid to keep their lucrative contract, which pays Deal personally about $150,000 per year. Of note, Deal's Recovery Services charges Georgia from 30 to 50% more per vehicle inspection than most of the other 7 inspection facilities around the state.

Georgia Revenue Commissioner Bart Graham became responsible for overseeing the inspection program a couple of years ago and in 2008 decided to reform the system and put the contracts out for competitive bid, but according to the complaint Nathan Deal used his political office as Congressman to attempt to stop this overhaul and protect his $150,000 a year personal profit.

Commissioner Graham was soon called to a meeting by Deal's friend and political ally Lt. Governor Casey Cagle to discuss Graham's proposed overhaul. Graham arrived to find that in addition to Cagle, Congressman Deal, Deal's congressional Chief of Staff and Deal's business partner were also all there. Two more meetings followed a few months later.

Graham's proposal to overhaul the system and put the contracts out for bids passed the Georgia House this year, but that plan was derailed in Casey Cagle's Georgia Senate. Of course Congressman Deal denies that he used his political office for personal gain, but the complaint points out several possible ethics and legal violations by Deal.

Whether Deal is guilty of the charges or not, this whole situation smells and Georgia voters are in no mood to re-elect politicians of either party who look to be profiting from the offices they hold... especially when that money is coming from taxpayers.

Deal's gubernatorial bid could be in jeopardy, and Lt. Governor Casey Cagle may be on the hot seat himself. If Cagle looks damaged, watch for State Senator David Shaffer to quickly be crowned as the GOP heir apparent for Lt. Governor. As for Deal, if he is forced out look for either Secretary of State Karen Handel or State Senator Eric Johnson to break away from the pack and become the main challenger to State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.