Atlanta Unfiltered

Gubernatorial candidate Eric Johnson neglected to report $289,000 in state payments to his architectural firm from 1999 to 2002, the Associated Press reports. But Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond can go him one better: He hasn’t disclosed anything whatsoever since 2007.

Thurmond, who’s running for the U.S. Senate, filed no financial disclosure forms with the State Ethics Commission in 2008 or 2009, a check of the commission’s online look-up shows. Elected officials in Georgia are required to report on basic details of their personal finances every year by July 1.

Since he’s leaving his state job, Thurmond is not required to file the form this year. A similar disclosure for the Senate campaign is due Tuesday.

(UPDATE: On May 27, Thurmond filed the disclosures that were due in 2008 or 2009. A spokesman described the omission as “a simple oversight” and then called me an idiot, See comment #2 below. Thurmond reported no state payments in those years to his wife’s job training business, The Milan Group, which had received $235,000 from the state in 2001-05.)

Seven other candidates running for statewide office failed to file disclosures after qualifying last month, a check of the commission’s Web site shows. Statewide candidates must file a more extensive report on their personal finances — including annual income, net worth, stock holdings and businesses — within seven days of qualifying, which ended April 30.

Four of them oughta know better, since they have been required to file annual disclosures as elected officials.

Statewide candidates who have yet to file a personal financial disclosure are:

• Ex-Sen. Joey Brush, running for Public Service Commission
• Darryl Hicks, running for insurance commissioner
• Rep. Randal Mangham, running for governor
• Michael Mills, running for secretary of state
• Angela Moore, running for secretary of state
• Sen. J.B. Powell, running for agriculture commissioner
• Sen. Georganna Sinkfield, running for secretary of state

Two other statewide candidates filed incomplete disclosures with the Ethics Commission. Dennis Cain, running for insurance commissioner, filed a blank form. Jeff May, vice chairman of the House Republican Caucus, filed the wrong form for his Public Service Commission race — not the one required of statewide candidates.