Georgia Gov. Kemp, allies shield details of major Rivian deal from public view ahead of GOP primary

Critics accuse officials of keeping citizens out of the loop, using underhanded, backroom dealings.

Just The News:

Just over one week before Georgia’s Republican gubernatorial primary, incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp and his allies backing a massive new economic development project in the Peach State are concealing key details of the agreement from the public, with critics alleging the use of underhanded tactics and shady backroom deals to push it through despite local opposition.

State and local officials in Georgia earlier this month announced a deal to dole out $1.5 billion of incentives to electric vehicle startup Rivian for it to build a $5 billion manufacturing plant east of Atlanta that will create 7,500 jobs.

The incentive package, by far the largest Georgia has ever offered to a company, includes major tax credits, a 25-year no-cost lease, and more than $198 million in site and road improvements on the 1,978 acres where the plant will be built in Morgan and Walton counties.

The deal to construct Rivian’s new electric vehicle manufacturing hub was first announced in December. Since then, Kemp has touted it as the biggest economic development project in Georgia history.

However, Kemp and other backers of the deal didn’t advertise that the land transactions for the site still haven’t closed. more here