ATLANTA - The son-in-law of Republican gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal did not disclose a 2001 bankruptcy filing that legal experts say made him ineligible to have his debts cleared when he sought bankruptcy protection again in 2009, according to a report in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.<br />
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Clinton Wilder filed for bankruptcy in November 2001, but he did not divulge it when seeking to have his debts discharged during a second bankruptcy case in July 2009. Court records show Wilder and his wife wrote "none" on a legal form that asked them to list all bankruptcy filings during the last eight years.<br />
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Wilder did not return messages seeking comment.<br />
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Deal spokesman Brian Robinson would not say when Deal first learned of the 2001 bankruptcy filing. Wilder and his wife owned a sporting goods store whose collapse has caused Deal serious financial trouble.<br />
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"Members of Nathan's family are not running for public office," Robinson said. "The important thing for voters to know is that Nathan will meet the obligations that are his."<br />
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The omission could cause Wilder legal trouble, said Darryl Scott Laddin, a bankruptcy attorney.<br />
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The U.S. Trustee's Office, which monitors bankruptcy cases, could try to have Wilder's bankruptcy protection overturned, meaning creditors could collect money from him, Laddin said. The office could also refer the case to federal prosecutors if it thinks the omission was intentional.<br />
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Paul Rogers, the trustee who oversaw Wilder's second bankruptcy case, said he has already contacted the U.S. Trustee's office.<br />
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"I would be very surprised if an investigation doesn't take place," he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.<br />
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Wilder owned a sporting goods store with his wife, Deal's daughter, that closed its doors in March 2009.<br />
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Deal and his wife lost their investment in the store when the business failed. After the Wilders declared bankruptcy, Deal became responsible for a $2.3 million loan made to the store. He faces a Feb. 1 deadline to repay the debt.<br />
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The former congressman has said he intends to repay the debts in full, but he has not said how he will do so.
