Burt Jones had a record of ethics controversies, including using his wealth to enrich his own campaign, and using his power as lieutenant governor to financially benefit his family’s business.
In 2023 and 2024, as Georgia lieutenant governor, Jones was “one of the most powerful supporters” of legislation that would have benefited his father’s $10 billion project. Jones’ father, the president of Interstate Health Systems, had purchased 250 acres of land and planned to build a 450,000-square-foot hospital as part of the project. Jones supported legislation twice that rolled back restrictions on new hospital construction, which would have allowed his father’s project to move forward more quickly.
During his 2022 lieutenant governor campaign, Jones failed to disclose his use of his family’s private jet for at least eight one-way flights that corresponded with campaign events he attended. Also during this campaign, Jones misused funds from his state senate campaign and was required to pay a $1,000 fine and reimburse his senate campaign $8,000.
In his 2025 gubernatorial campaign, Jones loaned himself $10 million to his campaign committee. One of his primary opponents, Chris Carr, filed a complaint calling for an investigation into the source of those funds, as Jones’ 2022 financial disclosure showed he had only $700,000 in cash and securities. Carr’s complaint was ultimately dismissed after it was determined that Jones’ loan did not qualify as “an illegal or excessive contribution.”
2023: Jones Was “One Of The Most Powerful Supporters” Of A Bill That Would Allow The Construction Of New Hospitals In Rural Areas Without A “Certificate Of Need.” According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is promoting a measure that would pave the way for more hospitals to be built in smaller counties as part of a pending overhaul of health care rules that could financially benefit his family’s business. The Republican is one of the most powerful supporters of Senate Bill 99, which would allow the construction of new hospitals in counties of fewer than 50,000 people without what is known as a ‘certificate of need’ from state regulators, even if they’re close to existing hospitals. Some existing hospitals oppose the measure, saying it could endanger struggling hospitals that serve their communities.” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3/20/23]
2023: Jones Supported Health Care Legislation That Would Allow A Plan To Build A 450,000-Square-Foot Hospital On A $10 Billion Project Site Jones’ Father Owned To Move Forward More Quickly. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Computer storage warehouses are envisioned to comprise the bulk of a $10 billion Butts County megaproject site along I-75 owned by Jones’ father, according to a Tuesday state infrastructure filing. The project could include up to 11 million square feet of data centers, which is as much floor space as seven Lenox Square malls. […] The plan centers on a 450,000-square-foot hospital, which could move forward more quickly by a health care rule overhaul supported by Jones, a Republican who is vying to become Georgia’s next governor.” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/15/25]
2023: Jones “Shelved” The Health Care Legislation Amid Criticisms Of Potential Conflicts Of Interest, But Later Backed Similar Legislation. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Jones faced criticism in 2023 for pushing to rewrite Georgia’s certificate of need laws — regulations that govern where hospitals can be built — in a way that could have cleared the path for a proposed 100-bed private hospital on the property. He later shelved that plan amid mounting questions about potential conflicts of interest. But last year, he helped shepherd a bipartisan bill backed by Gov. Brian Kemp and House Speaker Jon Burns that rolled back some of the same restrictions.” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/15/25]
2024: Jones “Helped Shepherd” A Bill That Kemp Signed Into Law, Which Rolled Back Similar Restrictions On Hospital Construction To The 2023 Sponsored Legislation Supported By Jones. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Jones faced criticism in 2023 for pushing to rewrite Georgia’s certificate of need laws — regulations that govern where hospitals can be built — in a way that could have cleared the path for a proposed 100-bed private hospital on the property. He later shelved that plan amid mounting questions about potential conflicts of interest. But last year, he helped shepherd a bipartisan bill backed by Gov. Brian Kemp and House Speaker Jon Burns that rolled back some of the same restrictions.” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/15/25]
2024: Jones’ Support For The Hospital Construction Legislation Sparked Criticisms Over His Support For Policy Changes That Financially Benefited His Family’s Business, Including A Plan To Build A 450,000-Square-Foot Hospital More Quickly On A $10 Billion Project Site Jones’ Father Owned. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Computer storage warehouses are envisioned to comprise the bulk of a $10 billion Butts County megaproject site along I-75 owned by Jones’ father, according to a Tuesday state infrastructure filing. The project could include up to 11 million square feet of data centers, which is as much floor space as seven Lenox Square malls. The project aims to extend the already sprawling River Park development, which is one of Middle Georgia’s largest industrial hot spots. It’s an effort praised by some as transformational for a small county an hour southeast of Atlanta, but it’s also sparked criticism over whether policy changes backed by Jones could financially benefit his family’s business. The plan centers on a 450,000-square-foot hospital, which could move forward more quickly by a health care rule overhaul supported by Jones, a Republican who is vying to become Georgia’s next governor.” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/15/25]
February-May 2022: Jones Failed To Disclose Using His Family’s Private Jet For At Least Eight One-Way Flights Corresponding With Campaign Events On His Campaign Finance Reports. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “A Republican candidate for lieutenant governor has been using his family’s private plane as he crisscrosses the state to attend some of his campaign events. But campaign finance documents recently filed by Burt Jones, a state senator from Jackson, don’t show any record of those flights or report the expenses. […] Between Feb. 2 and May 9, flights recorded by private jet tracking websites suggest that at least eight one-way flights corresponded to campaign events Jones posted on his Twitter account.” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/16/22]
March 2022: Jones Admitted To Using Funds From His State Senate Campaign Account On His Lieutenant Governor Campaign, And Agreed To Pay A $1,000 Fine And Reimburse His Senate Campaign $8,000. According to the Associated Press, “Miller alleges that the failure to report is part of a pattern of behavior with Jones, noting that Jones admitted fault and agreed to pay a $1,000 civil fine to the ethics commission in March for spending money from his separate state Senate campaign account on his run for lieutenant governor. Jones also agreed to reimburse his Senate campaign $8,000.” [Associated Press, 5/16/22]
July 2025: Chris Carr Asked For A Judge To Oversee Jones’ Campaign Spending And Investigate A $10 Million Loan Jones Gave To His Own Campaign. According to the Associated Press, “He also asks that a federal magistrate judge be appointed to oversee all spending by the committee and that Jones’ regular campaign committee repay any money already spent by the leadership committee to support Jones. Carr asks the court to block Jones from giving any cash to dark money groups and making any loans to his regular campaign committee during the primary, and wants the magistrate judge to investigate where Jones’ $10 million loan came from. Carr has pointed to a 2022 financial disclosure that showed Jones didn’t have enough liquid assets to loan his campaign that much. Carr’s campaign continues to voice concern that Jones could raise unlimited sums to repay his loan and then give the repaid money to his candidate committee to spend in the primary, warning that such laundering would destroy campaign contribution limits.” [Associated Press, 8/7/25]
July 2025: Jones’ Leadership Committee, Which Allowed Him To Raise Unlimited Campaign Contributions, Had $14.3 Million In Cash On Hand, “Including $10 Million That Jones Lent Himself.” According to the Associated Press, “The 46-year-old Jones is heir to a large petroleum distribution business and founder of an insurance agency. He lives in Jackson, southeast of Atlanta, and served 10 years in the state Senate before winning election as lieutenant governor in 2022. Jones said his leadership committee had $14.3 million in cash on hand, including $10 million that Jones lent himself. A leadership committee is an unusual fundraising vehicle that allows the lieutenant governor, governor and legislative leaders to raise unlimited campaign contributions, even while legislators are meeting.” [Associated Press, 7/8/25]
December 2025: The Georgia State Ethics Commission Dismissed Carr’s Complaint Against Jones, Saying Jones’ $10 Million Personal Loan Was Not “An Excessive Or Illegal Contribution” Because “The Candidate Is Simply Receiving Their Own Personal Funds Back.” According to the Georgia Recorder, “The commission’s position was that a personal loan from a candidate to a leadership committee is permitted because when the loan is repaid by the leadership committee, the candidate is simply receiving their own personal funds back, meaning no excessive or illegal contribution has occurred. The commission also stated that this analysis does not change if funds are loaned to the candidate committee during a primary election. ‘The money in this scenario is, and always has been, the candidate’s personal funds, so there’s no liability for a candidate to loan the money,’ said Steve Knittle, the commission’s deputy director and general counsel.” [Georgia Recorder, 12/4/25]