Despite challenging leadership committees in court as unconstitutional and unfair, Rick Jackson opened a leadership committee so he could raise unlimited contributions after securing the Republican nomination for Georgia governor. Jackson opened his leadership committee after celebrating a federal appeals court ruling affirming that Georgia’s law allowing Jones and incumbents to raise unlimited funds with leadership committees was likely unconstitutional. Jackson spent more than $100 million of his own wealth to defeat Jones in the primary despite attacking Jones for “abusing” his leadership committee.
Despite Challenging Jones’ Leadership Committees As Unconstitutional And Unfair, Jackson Opened A Leadership Committee So He Could Raise Contributions Without Limits During The General Election. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Rick Jackson has spent the past four months arguing a state law that lets a few powerful incumbents raise unlimited campaign cash is unconstitutional. But that doesn’t mean he won’t use it for himself. Last week, he opened his own leadership committee now that he is the Republican nominee for governor. These committees don’t have contribution limits, allowing candidates to hoard huge piles of cash. Jackson couldn’t have one of these committees during the primary. But his GOP opponent, Burt Jones, could because he was the sitting lieutenant governor. Jackson argued that gave Jones an unfair advantage, and a federal appeals court agreed with him. Jackson is one of many candidates to challenge this law, and several judges have ruled it is likely unconstitutional. But the cases have never made it to a final ruling for a variety of reasons. In some cases, candidates ended up dropping them after the primary election." [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 6/25/26]
HEADLINE: "Federal Court Rules A Fundraising Advantage For Burt Jones Is Likely Illegal" [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 6/12/26]
June 12, 2026: A Federal Appeals Court Affirmed A Lower Court Decision And Ruled That A Georgia Law Allowing Jones And Incumbents To Raise Unlimited Funds With Leadership Committees Was Likely Unconstitutional. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "A federal appeals court on Friday ruled a Georgia law that lets powerful incumbents raise unlimited campaign cash is likely unconstitutional, dealing a serious blow to what has been a significant fundraising advantage for a select few candidates. The law, passed in 2021 and aimed at boosting Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s reelection campaign, allows some candidates — including the governor and lieutenant governor — to form leadership committees that are not subject to the campaign contribution limits imposed on their rivals. That has allowed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones to raise more than $2.1 million since announcing his campaign for governor last summer. [...] Republican Rick Jackson, Jones’ main rival and a billionaire who has spent nearly $100 million of his own money to self-fund his campaign, challenged the law in court. In February a federal judge ordered Jones’ committee to stop raising and spending money to support his campaign, saying the committee likely gave Jones an illegal advantage. On Friday the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court decision. ‘The First Amendment does not forgive such favoritism,’ U.S. Circuit Judge Britt Grant wrote for the majority." [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 6/12/26]
Jackson’s Campaign Celebrated The Ruling As A Campaign Loss For Jones And Said “The Days Of Burt Jones Playing By His Own Set Of Rules To Benefit Himself Are Coming To An End.” According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "But the ruling aligns with a string of previous decisions casting doubt on the law, signaling to future candidates they might not be able to rely on it. ‘The days of Burt Jones playing by his own set of rules to benefit himself are coming to an end,’ said Mike Schrimpf, a spokesperson for Jackson’s campaign. ‘Burt Jones’ campaign lost today, and he will suffer an even bigger loss Tuesday.’" [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 6/12/26]
February 2026: Jackson Filed A Lawsuit Against Jones’ Leadership Committee, Claiming The State Law Allowing The Use Of The Leadership Committee To Raise And Spend Unlimited Donations Was “Unfair And Unconstitutional.” According to CBS News, “A Republican candidate for governor is suing Georgia's sitting lieutenant governor, arguing a state campaign finance law gives the incumbent an unfair and unconstitutional advantage in the 2026 GOP primary. According to a verified complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Richard L. Jackson and his campaign committee, Jackson for Governor, Inc., are seeking declaratory and injunctive relief against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and others. [....] At the center of the lawsuit - Jackson et al v. Jones et al - is Georgia's 2021 law, codified as the ‘leadership committee’ statute. In court filings, Jackson argues the law allows Jones — as the incumbent lieutenant governor — to chair a leadership committee that can raise and spend unlimited contributions to benefit his gubernatorial campaign. Meanwhile, Jackson says he remains bound by traditional contribution caps during the primary.” [CBS News, 2/11/26]
Although Jackson Attacked Jones For “Abusing” His Leadership Committee To Raise Unlimited Contributions, Jackson Spent $93 Million Of His Own Money To Challenge Jones In The Republican Primary. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Though leadership committees bestow advantages, they’re no guarantee of success. Rick Jackson, a billionaire healthcare executive who will face Jones in a runoff for the Republican nomination for governor later this month, has spent $93 million of his own money to challenge Jones. Meanwhile, a mysterious political group has spent millions more attacking the lieutenant governor. Jackson’s campaign accused Jones of ‘abusing’ his leadership committee by raising unlimited cash and accepting contributions during the legislative session. ‘Burt Jones thinks a level playing field and fair play are for suckers,’ the campaign said." [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 6/3/26]
Jackson Spent More Than $100,000,000 Of His Personal Wealth To Defeat Jones In The Primary. According to Politico, "Health care executive Rick Jackson defeated Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in Georgia’s GOP gubernatorial primary Tuesday, with the help of over $100 million of his personal wealth." [Politico, 6/16/26]