I’ve written before about the bad property investments made by prominent Georgians.
Now there’s this really funny (it is, right?) wrinkle in the saga of Governor Deal and his support for his daughter and son-in-law’s failed attempt at a sporting goods store in Baldwin, Georgia.
From the AJC:
The man who bought a failed sporting goods store this week from Gov. Nathan Deal owns a chain of adult video and novelty stores but says he plans to open a pawnshop in Habersham County.
Steve A. Diamond of Santa Maria, Calif., is the owner of Diamond Video World, also known as Diamond Adult World, which has four locations in California selling sex toys, DVDS, lingerie, oils and lubricants, according to its website.
Diamond on Monday signed documents to pay $750,000 for the site of the former sporting goods store, which Deal’s daughter ran. Deal is financing the transaction himself, which means the governor could be responsible for outstanding debt if Diamond’s business fails.
Diamond claims that he will open a pawnshop in the building, not an adult video store. Either way, of course, the governor will end up in a sordid situation if the business fails and perhaps leaves Deal on the hook for some portion of any debt incurred.
Deal and his attorney claim that they did not know that Diamond owned adult video stores, but the folks at Peach Pundit have called that assumption into question. After all, if you were a seller financing a $750,000 deal wouldn’t you at least google the name and hometown of the buyer?