Report: Lt. Gov. bought condo from lobbyist below value

ATLANTA (AP) - A leading Republican candidate for Georgia governor reportedly bought a downtown Atlanta condominium from a lobbyist at what appeared to be a discount.

The New York Times , citing real estate records, says Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle^[1] bought the one-bedroom condo 10 years ago at 24 percent less than its appraised value. It was bought from Terry E. Hobbs, a lobbyist who represents natural gas marketer SCANA. Cagle^[2] sold the condo last year at a 29 percent profit.

Sara Henderson is executive director of Common Cause Georgia, a government watchdog group. She says the sale raises suspicions of pay-to-play.

But Cagle^[3] told the paper the sale was “a legitimate transaction” and Hobbs had not lobbied him on any issue around the time of the sale.