Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and his Republican allies are hitting back against the secretive group airing millions of dollars of ads attacking him.
The Georgia Republican Party filed an ethics complaint this week against Georgians for Integrity, the organization that has financed the scathing spots. And Jones’ campaign for governor sent a letter to TV stations demanding they pull a 30-second ad that has blanketed Atlanta airwaves.
At issue is a group that has spent more than $4 million so far on ads and flyers attacking the GOP front-runner. Sleuths in both parties say they haven’t been able to determine who is behind the organization, which has left a paper trail stretching from Delaware to Utah to a post office box in Atlanta.
The ethics complaint alleges the group “thumbed its nose” at state campaign laws by failing to register with Georgia officials. It drew a comparison to the New Georgia Project, a political group which collapsed after agreeing to pay a record fine for illegally aiding Stacey Abrams’ 2018 bid for governor.
“The harm is not abstract — every day this group remains unregistered, Georgia voters are deprived of their right to know who is funding electioneering activity, who is attempting to influence their vote, and whether prohibited or excessive contributions are being funneled into the political process,” complaint read.
In a separate letter to television stations, Jones’ attorney Vincent Russo argued the group made “demonstrably false” claims in an ad scrutinizing the Republican’s role in a $10 billion megaproject his family’s company proposed.
The mysterious nature of the broadsides have triggered a political guessing game. The campaigns of Jones’ top Republican rivals — Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger — both insist they’re not involved.
Democrats aren’t claiming credit, either. Even former Gov. Roy Barnes has tried to stamp out speculation that he’s behind it.
Whoever is financing the ads is sending a message. The amount of spending eclipses what several high-profile candidates have so far raised for their entire campaigns.
And it is a big swing for this point on the calendar. Voters right now are typically more focused on holiday plans than campaign feuding. It could reflect a bold pre-holiday gamble or a sign that more money is waiting in the wings.
The ads share a common theme, accusing Jones of leveraging his office for personal gain, a charge he’s flatly rejected. He told Shelley Wynter Tuesday on News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB that the ads are “fabricated trash” and that he’s had little luck figuring out who is behind them.
“It’s somebody who is trying to cover their tracks now,” said Jones, accusing the group’s backers of lacking “guts” to stand behind it publicly. “Put your name to it.”
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
