The Renegade Darnell

Oh mama, I’m in fear for my life from the long arm of the law
Lawman has put an end to my runnin’, and I’m so far from my home
Oh mama, I can hear you a’cryin, you’re so scared and all alone
Hangman is comin’ down from the gallows, and I don’t have very long

– Styx, “Renegade”

Piggybacking on Buzz’s not so “family friendly” post, here is one that is all family at its center, in this case, the strange case of the Darnell Family.

While the narrator in the classic Styx song Renegade cries out to his mama that he is “so far from [his] home,” the alleged issue that may bring the “lawman” to put an end to his running the Cobb RA involves Darnell being too close to home!

Peach Pundit readers are well familiar with the scion of the Darnell Family, Timothy Nathaniel “Nattie” Darnell, who has continued to make political waves for praising and rejoicing “in the Lord” for the misfortunes of others. Darnell is the Cobb leader of the Georgia Republican Assembly and also serves as a Georgia National Director for the NFRA, that organization that claims to be the “Republican wing of the Republican Party.”

These days, they seem to be more focused on purging all RINOs (Republican In Name Only) and Establishment ™ types from the party ranks. Of course, their definition of those terms is basically anyone who does not agree 110% with the views and/or their tactics.

One issue they have latched on to win over the MAGA crowd is “election integrity,” an issue that Darnell likes to talk about almost as much as how Divine intervention has struck down his political enemies as a warning to all others who would stand in his way. There is only one problem…with a typical “say as I do, not as I say” mentality, Darnell now stands accused of six (6) felony counts of voter fraud, accused of voting at an address that is not his residence!

According to a challenge filed against Darnell with the Cobb County Board of Elections on April 5, 2023, Darnell is accused of “willfully and knowingly [submitting] false information on each of 6 election Voter Affidavits required to be filled-out, and he also swore a false oath for each of these 6 elections.”

The challenge, filed by Cobb resident and voter Bill Simon, alleges that Darnell continued to swear under oath that his residence for voting was his parent’s home in Powder Springs, where, at the age of 39, he was still living when he got married in 2020 – does it strike anyone else as odd that many of the GRA’s senior leaders live with the parents well into their 30’s (yes, I’m talking to you Brant Frost V)?

While the Bible states that upon marriage, a “man shall leave his father and mother and be united with his wife,” it would appear that, at least where voting was concerned, Darnell didn’t do that and, according to the challenge, has sworn that his previous residence with his parents was, in fact, his voting residence, rather than that of his new wife, who registered to vote at what is claimed by the challenge to be Darnell’s residence, also in Powder Springs.

While it may be understandable and excusable with all of his “election integrity” and “rejoicing in the Lord” at the death of Georgia legislators that it may have simply slipped his mind to change his voter registration, it’s difficult to imagine that it slipped his mind six times between 2020 and 2022. What’s more, according to the Exhibits contained in the challenge which were obtained by an open records request, Darnell filled out the his parents’ address each time and signed the document attesting that the address was indeed his current residence (see pages 7-11).

It should also be noted that each count is not exactly something that results in a small fine or other slap on the wrist, but one that carries with it felony counts of five years in prison, for a potential 30 years in prison Darnell could be facing.

There may be a logical explanation in that Darnell and his wife have never shared the same residence. After marriage, he continued to live with his parents and she moved into a house close by. The problem with that theory is the challenge also included as an Exhibit (F-2) the corporate filing with the Secretary of State for Darnell’s nonprofit corporation, The Every Thought Captive Foundation, Inc., which lists Darnell as its registered agent at the address of his wife’s home.

It would seem that Darnell has for some reason made sure not to list himself at his residence. While he lists the home as his address on his corporate filing, according to Cobb County tax and real estate records, he is not listed at the residence at all. Only his wife is and under her former name. Maybe that is what Darnell meant when he discussed a women’s highest calling was to be a “keeper-at-home” and a “helpmeet” when he attacked Sarah Palin’s candidacy for Vice-President in 2008.

Darnell was given the opportunity to respond to the accusations against him by providing a quote for this article. As of publication time, no response has been received.

For those who want to tune in, the hearing is scheduled for 3:00 PM on May 8, 2023. It will also be streamed online. More information can be found at Board of Elections and Registration | Cobb County Georgia.