Republican Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker faced a crowd of twenty reporters shouting at him over eviction notices during a campaign event Tuesday.
Walker demanded that the reporters talk to the dozen Georgians who had received eviction notices from an apartment building owned by Democratic Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock’s Ebenezer Baptist Church. Warnock initially denied the story, which The Washington Free Beacon broke on Oct. 11. On Tuesday, however, the Free Beacon reported that the apartment complex had, on Oct. 12, filed eviction notices against three more tenants, two of whom owed just $115 each in overdue rent.
Walker hosted his campaign event outside the apartment complex, where one reporter asked him if the people standing behind him and holding signs were evicted tenants and whether they could speak to the press. The candidate told reporters to enter the apartment complex and communicate with the people impacted.
“No, they want you to go in and see the people behind me. That’s the reason you’re here,” Walker told the reporter. “I hope you’re gonna go in and see the people behind us. That’s the reason I brought you down. You’re here in Atlanta and you have not come down to see this. So I brought you down here so now you can go in and see the people right here. I hope you’re gonna go in. Are you gonna do that or no?”
A crowd of ~20 reporters screeched at Herschel Walker this morning when he suggested they do their jobs and talk to the people who have faced eviction notices from the apartment building owned by Raphael Warnock’s church.
They’re so close to the building they can almost touch it pic.twitter.com/D8TmLAGU0N
— Andrew Kerr (@AndrewKerrNC) October 18, 2022
The reporter could be heard saying “Yes” and then attempting to repeat her question about whether the people lined up behind Walker were evicted tenants. The two talked over each other as Walker continued to demand that the press enter the building and speak to tenants inside.
“Answer her question!” another reporter demanded. Several in the crowd began shouting the same demand. (RELATED: Georgia Officials Are Probing Raphael Warnock’s Church)
“You’re gonna go in and visit the people as well,” Walker said. “Next question.”
Walker’s campaign spokesperson Will Kiley said in a statement that Warnock needs to take “accountability” for denying that the building attempted to evict its tenants over late rent.
“Raphael Warnock needs to honestly answer for the actions his church is taking,” Kiley said. “Warnock’s church oversees Columbia Tower and as senior pastor, he is heavily involved in the operations of the church. Warnock is involved enough in his church to get a salary and a housing allowance, but he isn’t involved in these eviction notices? It’s time for Raphael Warnock to man up, tell the truth, and take responsibility for his actions for once.”
The campaign reportedly gave each reporter a copy of the 15 eviction lawsuits filed against the tenants. Each lawsuit reportedly includes the tenant’s and apartment number, according to Free Beacon reporter Andrew Kerr. The Walker campaign said that not one reporter entered the building after the event.