Governor Deal defends Senator Butch Miller's use of state property

Governor Nathan Deal doesn't believe his floor leader, Senator Butch Miller's car dealership, used state property without approval or payment.

The Governor’s position seems to be contradicted by Google Satellite maps and the fact that the Georgia Labor department once ordered Miller to remove dealership cars from a vacant state parking lot.

Last week, the FOX 5 I-team reported that in 2010 Senator Miller's car dealership - Milton Martin Honda - paid the state $1800 a month to park cars on vacant state property located right next to his dealership

But our investigation found Senator Miller's dealership stopped making payments after two months. And, at various times during the next four years, as you could see in Google Earth maps between 2012 and 2014, Senator Miller appeared to have parked cars on state property for free.

In fact in 2014, the Labor department, which owned the land, found cars on the property and issued "a cease and desist letter" to the Senator.

Soon, after, Senator Miller began paying rent again - this time just $1000 a month.

Labor Commissioner Mark Butler explains, “It didn't matter who owned the dealership, if they wanted to continue to park cars on that property, they have to pay rent. It would be an unfair advantage to use state property for free.

At the State Properties Commission meeting today, Governor Deal insisted he had no evidence his floor leader used State Property without approval.

“I don't have any facts to indicate that's the case,” Governor Deal said.  

I tried to show the Governor how Google Maps took four satellite pictures of the property between 2012 and 2014, and on every picture you could see a lot full of cars. In one Street View you could see Senator Miller's car Tags.

We asked Steve Stancil, the State Property Officer, who oversees state real estate, what he thought and Stancil replied he didn’t know anything about it.