WASHINGTON — A Georgia movie studio founder who has vowed to place $4 million behind his run for Congress was accused in 2017 of lifting former Main League Baseball All-Star Jason Heyward’s signature from a buying and selling card to lure buyers in a land deal.
Republican Ryan Millsap, whose Blackhall Studios was utilized by Marvel for tasks comparable to “Venom” and “Loki,” was slapped that 12 months with a declare that he “fraudulently” induced an funding agency to sink $8.5 million into the acquisition of a 52-acre plot outdoors Atlanta.
Heyward, who spent the primary 5 seasons of his profession with the Atlanta Braves, “by no means had any intention of investing” and his signature “was a forgery,” claimed Telos Capital LLC in its go well with, which was settled in 2018.
Based on a courtroom submitting obtained by The Submit, a non-public investigator tracked down Heyward and his monetary adviser, who confirmed that the doc with the ballplayer’s signature “is fraudulent” and was “taken off of a baseball card.”
Millsap will face state Rep. Houston Gaines within the Could 19 Republican major to symbolize Georgia’s tenth Congressional District, situated east of Atlanta.
Millsap and Gaines are battling plumber Jeff Baker for the GOP nomination to succeed Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.), who gave up the seat to run for the US Senate.
President Trump has but to challenge an endorsement within the race.
Heyward didn’t reply to The Submit’s request for remark.
Millsap beforehand turned the main target of controversy after ProPublica reported in 2024 on a trove of racist texts he allegedly despatched, which turned public as a part of an arbitration dispute together with his former lawyer, John Da Grosa Smith, who sought $24 million for purported authorized work.
“F—ing Black Individuals,” Millsap texted his then-girlfriend, Christy Hockmeyer, in 2019 after she complained a couple of declare towards her following a automobile accident, in line with courtroom paperwork.
“So the black lady desires $2500 to repair her automobile on a quote that was $1800,” she had allegedly advised him.
In one other alternate cited in courtroom information, Hockmeyer whined about a physician’s go to at which she needed to take care of a “retarded” nurse.
“Not shocked,” Millsap allegedly responded. “Black or Asian?”
“Black,” she replied.
In yet one more alleged alternate, Hockmeyer, additionally an investor in Millsap’s actual property agency, fumed {that a} “massive smelly black man is seated subsequent to me.”
“Yucko!!” the long run congressional candidate replied, in line with the courtroom paperwork.
The Submit reached out to Hockmeyer for remark.
Millsap and Hockmeyer additionally allegedly exchanged antisemitic messages, with the latter suggesting the Blackhall boss make a sure rent by saying: “He’s even a Jew. That’s good for this function.”
“Teeny tiniest Jew,” allegedly replied Millsap, who’s now married to a Jewish lady.
Smith’s crew additionally accused Millsap in courtroom information of often utilizing phrases comparable to “grasping Israelite” and “the Jew crew,” and as soon as complaining about being “Jew jitsued.”
An arbitrator discovered Smith in breach of contract and inflicting Millsap “reputational hurt,” ordering the lawyer to pay $1.5 million in punitive damages and $2.2 million in attorneys’ charges.
On the time of the preliminary report, Millsap supplied “honest apologies to my pricey pals, colleagues, and associates in each the black and Jewish communities for any and all ache my phrases have induced.”
“Ryan Millsap is operating for Congress to destroy the left-wing Democrat communists and profession politicians who’re destroying this nation,” a spokesman for the candidate stated, “so it’s not stunning they’re mendacity about no matter they’ll to sluggish him down.
“It’s a disgrace that the New York Submit has taken up their trigger by repeating faux information that was printed in left-wing media, or from a disgraced lawyer that was discovered liable in a judgement in Mr. Millsap’s favor, or by those that are in search of to cease him from combating the combat towards the left.
“These claims are made up out of entire material. Full cease.
“Ryan Millsap is a warrior who has been doing battle towards the leftist Antifa motion for years and desires to assist President Donald Trump end them to save lots of this nation.”
Blackhall Studios, based by Millsap in 2017, was acquired by non-public fairness agency Commonwealth Group for $120 million in April 2021 and rebranded as Shadowbox Studios the next 12 months.
“Any considered one of these allegations can be deeply troubling. Taken collectively, they’re disqualifying,” the Gaines marketing campaign stated in an announcement. “This district deserves higher. Voters desire a conservative fighter who will ship outcomes and work with President Trump and Speaker Johnson.”
