Excerpt
from You Don't Know Me: A Citizen's Guide to Republican Family Values
by Win McCormack
Mike Bowers
In June 1997, Mike Bowers, a candidate for Georgia governor and former Georgia
Attorney General admitted to a 15-year affair with a subordinate in the attorney
general’s office. Bowers announced that he would resign his position as a major
general in the Georgia Air National Guard because of the affair. (Florida
Times-Union [Jacksonville, FL], “Governor-hopeful Bowers Admits Decade-Long
Affair,” June 6, 1997)
The Florida Times-Union noted that Bowers was “the most ardent
defender of Georgia’s morality laws” while carrying on the affair. The paper
reported that Bowers “admitted feeling hypocritical” for withdrawing a job offer
in 1991 to a lesbian planning to marry another woman.
(Florida Times-Union [Jacksonville, FL], “Governor-hopeful Bowers
Admits Decade-Long Affair,” June 6, 1997)
Mistress Revealed Bowers Made Financial Payments to Her, Often By
Signing Over State-Paid Expense Checks
In April 1998, Bowers’ mistress, Anne Davis, revealed in a story in
George magazine that Bowers made $400-$600 monthly payments to her since
their affair began, “often by signing over his state-paid expense checks.”
(Atlanta Journal and Constitution, “Bowers Says He’s Stopped Payments
to Ex-Mistress,” April 17, 1998)
Bowers’ wife of 35 years, Bette Rose, defended her husband’s decision to financially support his mistress:
“When she asked Mike for help, he thought that it was the right thing to do,
and I concurred. I didn’t think about it until it became an issue (this week). .
. . I look forward to the day when Mike and I stop having to apologize for the
fact that we kept our marriage together.’’
(Atlanta Journal and Constitution, “Bowers Says He’s Stopped Payments
to Ex-Mistress,” April 17, 1998)
Bowers Refused to Heed Fellow Republicans’ Calls to Drop Out of Campaign.
The Atlanta Journal and Constitution quoted several high level Republican officials who suggested that Bowers should drop out of the Governor’s race. Bowers refused:
“I ran the attorney general’s office in open defiance of all the damn
politicians in the state. I don’t owe them nothing. They can, every single one,
say, ‘Mike, get out,’ but I’m not.”
(Atlanta Journal and Constitution, “Bowers Says He’s Stopped Payments
to Ex-Mistress,” April 17, 1998)
Copyright © 2008 Win McCormack