Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ allies are moving swiftly to confront the newest threat in Georgia’s Republican race for governor, a recognition that billionaire health care entrepreneur Rick Jackson has already reshaped the contest.
Valdosta forester Allen Kennedy, a Jones ally and GOP activist, filed an ethics complaint Friday alleging Jackson’s campaign violated state law by spending money and producing ads before formally registering a campaign committee and filing required paperwork with the state.
The filing, submitted to the Georgia Ethics Commission, also urges investigators to examine whether Jackson’s campaign coordinated with the mysterious group Georgians for Integrity, which has spent nearly $14 million on attack ads targeting Jones — a suggestion the Jackson campaign has denied.
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Jackson’s camp dismissed the complaint outright.
“The complaint is as laughable as Burt’s work ethic,” said spokesman Lance Trover.
“Rick Jackson broke campaign finance laws before he even became a candidate,” Jones spokeswoman Kayla Lott fired back. “All the money in the world can’t buy you a campaign team that knows what they’re doing.”
In a legal brief filed in August 2025, another GOP contender for governor accused Jones of a similar violation. Attorney General Chris Carr’s campaign argued that Jones pre-paid for Facebook ads before he entered the race.
The back-and-forth underscores how quickly Jackson’s surprise entry has escalated tensions in a race already on track to become the most expensive in state history.
Jones, the Donald Trump-backed front-runner, now faces a rival willing to spend at least $50 million of his own fortune — and to engage aggressively from the outset.
Jackson is also vying for the president’s favor, even directing a slice of his roughly $4 million cable ad buy to Washington and Palm Beach — a clear bid to catch the president’s eye.
Meanwhile, Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger are still working to carve out a more mainstream lane in a primary remade by Jackson’s entrance.
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