Former Georgia representative found dead at Augusta hotel. Here's what we know
An investigation is underway into the death of a former Georgia political leader.
Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen confirmed via email Wednesday night that his office is investigating the death of former Georgia House Rep. Ben Harbin at age 61. No cause has been released yet.
Harbin was found at the Fairfield Inn at 3023 Washington Rd. in Augusta close to the I-20 exit.
The coroner pronounced Harbin dead at the scene at 7:12 p.m. Wednesday, April 30.
Harbin was a longtime, leading figure in the Augusta area. He was chair of the Richmond County Republican Party 1990-1991 and 1993-1994. He was a Republican representative for House District 122 from 1994 to 2015, according to Ballotpedia. Harbin was the main sponsor of the Motorcycle Mobility Safety Act and HB 364 which amended real estate transfer taxes. He resigned to become a lobbyist for the Southern Strategy Group.
Outside of politics, Harbin was the owner of the Harbin Company, a partner with Harbin and Associates, and an agent with Farm Bureau Insurance.
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for Gannett/USA Today. Find him on X and Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Former Georgia Rep. Ben Harbin found dead at Augusta hotel
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
22 minutes ago
- CBS News
Activists shut out of Sacramento immigration hearings following ICE detainment
There was pushback outside the federal building in Sacramento on Thursday as members of a local activist group say they were prohibited from attending a scheduled immigration hearing that is typically open to the public. The group, NorCal Resist, said some of their volunteers watched as ICE agents detained an immigrant who was there for an appointment. NorCal Resist volunteers say they often accompany immigrants to appointments to observe, document, and support them through their proceedings. But on Thursday, many activists were left outside as the federal building went on lockdown for several hours after the man was detained, and only those with appointments and employees were allowed in, according to CapRadio. "It's a public government building that we have every right to be in," said Giselle Garcia, a volunteer with NorCal Resist. "This is a gross violation of the law that they're doing here." Some activists stayed there through the afternoon, with one activist describing their interaction first-hand to CBS News Sacramento. "It was alarming. There was an armed man who stood in front of me, and I just have a little poster board sign, and there were agents having their faces covered," the protester, who asked not to be named, said. Shortly after 4 p.m., CBS Sacramento saw a caravan of vehicles leaving the federal building, led by a van and unmarked government vehicles. Around half a dozen ICE agents, mostly in masks, exited a gate at the federal building as the vehicles left. ICE has not confirmed the details of its activity in Sacramento. Democratic Congressman Ami Bera, who represents Sacramento County, said President Trump's immigration policies are "creating a culture of fear in our immigrant communities." "We'll support you if you want to go after criminals, but the folks that are not a threat to our community, let's figure out a better way to address that," Bera told CBS Sacramento. Bera told CBS Sacramento that Democrats and Republicans would need to find common ground "to ease tensions in this country." "We're going to have to listen to one another," Bera said. "I want us to come together as a country, so let's do it." Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley spoke to media members over Zoom on Thursday and said that California and the City of Los Angeles have each passed policies that "have encouraged lawlessness" and "a breakdown of order." "Unfortunately, we had political leaders as well who added fuel to that fire with irresponsible and inflammatory rhetoric," Kiley said.
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Republicans respond to Israel's strikes on Iran: ‘Game on'
Republican lawmakers welcomed Israel's overnight attack against Iran and asked the public to pray for the Jewish State, which waged strikes against Tehran's expanding nuclear program and military leadership. 'Game on. Pray for Israel,' Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a defense hawk, wrote Thursday night on the social media platform X. Similar messages were posted by other GOP members of Congress since Israel unleashed an attack that, so far, has killed Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Hossein Salami, along with two other top Iranian generals. Speaker Mike Johnson echoed President Trump's consistent warning that Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon in his response, commending the administration for working 'tirelessly to ensure that outcome.' 'Unfortunately, Iran has refused to agree and even declared yesterday its intent to build a new enrichment facility,' Johnson posted to X on Friday. 'Israel decided it needed to take action to defend itself,' he added. 'They were clearly within their right to do so. Iran will face grave consequences if it responds by unjustifiably targeting U.S. interests.' Sen. Jim Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also showed his support for Israel late Thursday, following the strikes. 'We stand with Israel tonight and pray for the safety of its people and the success of this unilateral, defensive action. I am also praying for the brave U.S. service members in the Middle East who keep America safe — Iran would be foolish to attack the United States,' he posted on X. Israel performed at least five rounds of strikes against Iran, hitting dozens of targets, including the Natanz, one of Iran's main enrichment facilities. Israel said the attack was unleashed to help prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message that the operation, dubbed 'Rising Lion,' would last 'as many days as it takes.' 'We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment program. We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear weaponization program. We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz,' the prime minster said in his address, shared to X. 'We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb. We also struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile program.' Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Commitee, said that Israel's 'reckless escalation' threatens to ignite violence in the region and could jeopardize the safety of Americans stationed in the Middle East. 'While tensions between Israel and Iran are real and complex, military aggression of this scale is never the answer,' Reed said late Thursday in a statement. 'I urge both nations to show immediate restraint, and I call on President Trump and our international partners to press for diplomatic de-escalation before this crisis spirals further out of control,' the Democratic senator added. 'President Trump must be crystal clear with the American people and the international community in charting a way forward. The world cannot afford more devastating conflict born of short-sighted violence.' Iran retaliated, launching over 100 drones, some of whom are intercepted by the Israeli military, according to officials. Trump warned Iran Friday morning to accept a nuclear deal with the U.S. or it would face harsh consequences. 'I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it,' the president wrote on Truth Social. He added in a subsequent post, 'Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!' Iran, amid the tension, announced Friday that they were pulling out of the next round of nuclear talks that were expected Sunday in Oman. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Begich joins U.S. House Republicans in voting to claw back public broadcasting money
Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, speaks to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. At background are Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak (left) and Speaker of the House Bryce Edgmon, I-Dillingham (right). (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon) Rep. Nick Begich, R-Alaska, joined congressional Republicans in a 214-212 vote Thursday to claw back $1.1 billion in previously approved federal funding for public broadcasting, including tens of millions of dollars intended for radio and TV stations in Alaska. The clawback, formally known as a rescission vote, was requested by President Donald Trump and does not take effect unless also approved by the U.S. Senate within 45 days. The rescission would be enormously significant for Alaska's public broadcasters, particularly those in rural Alaska. High Country News has reported that many of Alaska's rural public radio stations are heavily dependent upon funding from the federal government. A rescission would be even more significant than a budget cut, because it would instantly affect funding that has already been approved and included in local budgets. If Congress were to cut budgets going forward, stations might have at least some time to adapt. Stations on St. Paul Island, in Unalakleet, Sand Point and Talkeetna are among those that receive more than 70% of their funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the federally funded agency targeted by Thursday's vote. Stations in Sitka, Ketchikan, Petersburg and Haines are among those that receive at least a third of their support from the CPB. At KUCB-FM in Unalaska, the station would instantly lose nearly half of its funding and would have to eliminate original programming. The same would take place at KYUK-FM in Bethel, which stands to lose almost 70% of its revenue. On June 6, Alaska Public Media published a listing of knock-on effects, including the loss of the only local reporters in many rural parts of the state. Even in the state's urban centers, the funding loss would have devastating effects. KNBA-FM in Anchorage could have to stop production of National Native News and Native America Calling, two nationally syndicated programs that broadcast Alaska Native and American Indian news. In Juneau, the loss of funding would affect Gavel Alaska, the public broadcasts that cover legislative hearings in the state Capitol and elsewhere. Begich, in a written statement, said the rescissions package is 'a necessary step for restoring fiscal responsibility in our nation.' During his election campaign last year, Alaska's lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives said reducing the national deficit was a priority. He recently voted for a bill that increases the national debt by an estimated $2.4 trillion. In Thursday's statement, Begich said that 'while rural communities have in the past been indirectly supported through state-sponsored media, we must acknowledge how far we have come in terms of connectivity since the birth of radio more than 120 years ago. Alaskan residents have embraced today's pervasive cellular, satellite, and wireline technologies, connecting rural communities to critical information and resources in rich and compelling ways. Importantly, however, emergency management funding from these budgets that is directed to rural communities has been preserved.' In addition to the impact on public broadcasters, the rescissions package eliminates billions of dollars in foreign aid. 'This rescissions package primarily targets ideologically-shaped foreign spending at USAID. Under both the Obama and Biden Administrations, USAID funding was misused to promote political and socially left policies abroad. This package helps refocus our support in ways that are consistent with America's core values, rather than promote the agendas of international bureaucracies and ideological NGOs,' Begich wrote. 'America has been built on principles of freedom of expression, self-determination, sovereignty, personal responsibility, and limited government. This package supports those values by rescinding $9.4 billion from programs that do not reflect the will of the taxpaying public,' his statement said. A poll commissioned by PBS earlier this year found that 65% of the public believes the public broadcaster is either adequately funded or underfunded. In the Senate, a simple majority vote will be needed to approve the rescissions package. Republicans occupy 53 seats in that chamber and Vice President J.D. Vance would cast any tiebreaking vote, meaning that four Republicans would have to oppose the funding reduction for it to fail. U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, has said she supports funding public broadcasting. U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, while critical of NPR, has supported public broadcasting, particularly in rural Alaska. Trump has said that the rescissions request is the first of several that the White House budget office plans to submit. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
