I’m going to be upfront here and say I know as much about Herschel Walker as I do about Calculus. Which is to say I don’t really know anything about him except that he’s polling way ahead of other Republicans in the Georgia Senate primary race and he’s been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

A story by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution makes it plain, however, that Walker has the same business acumen as the ex-president and I don’t mean that as a compliment.

Walker’s popularity almost certainly stems from his status as a former football running back for the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants among others but as he hits the campaign trail he’ll more than likely promote his reputation as a businessman.

And, at a rally at Dahlonega, Georgia, he’s already gotten started.

“Whenever Georgia needed somebody to speak up for their businesses, they called Herschel Walker,” he told his audience.

The Journal-Constitution did a bit of digging around, reviewing court records and other public documents that contradict statements Walker has made about the number of workers his companies employ, their size, and the assets they own. But that’s not all the newspaper’s review discovered: Apparently, there’s also been a string of defaults, settlements, and lawsuits that allege Walker and his businesses are buried firmly in the hole. In other words, owing millions of dollars in unpaid loans.

Walker is fond of equating his wealth with his business acumen but much of it really appears to be due to his celebrity status as a celebrated football player thanks to speaking engagements and brand ambassadorships, according to campaign finance disclosures.

“There are a lot of fine qualities in his background as an athlete to celebrate, of course,” said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, the senior associate dean for leadership studies at Yale. Sonnenfeld reviewed the newspaper’s findings. “In the businessworld he is not anywhere in the league of his Republican predecessors.”

The Journal-Constitution reached out to Walker’s campaign, which declined to be interviewed about his business career.

“In a pair of statements, it defended his record but did not address specific questions about his past business problems,” the publication reported. “His campaign said Walker is ‘extremely proud’ of his accomplishments and his record of success. It accused the AJC of a ‘witch hunt’ (gee, where have we heard that before?) because Walker is leading in the polls.”

This has some of Walker’s political opponents concerned as he continues his bid to unseat his Democratic competitor, Raphael Warnock. They believe his lack of business acumen could be problematic.

“If you can’t run your own business, how can you run the nation’s business?” asked Democratic Senator Emanuel Jones.

“If you can’t run your own business,” asked Democratic state Sen. Emanuel Jones, “how can you run the nation’s business?” #gapol #gasen https://t.co/Mf6Ad7v88s

— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) March 11, 2022

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s review is extensive and definitely worth a read, especially if you have questions about anyone running for Senate during the midterm elections.