Rick Jackson faced scrutiny for his companies’ multi–million-dollar payments to settle claims they exploited workers and breached labor laws despite Jackson’s campaign promise to create jobs and bring “business solutions to Georgia just like President Trump.”
In 2022, Jackson Nurse Professionals agreed to a nearly $2 million payout after being accused of violating California’s Unfair Competition Law and the Fair Labor Standards Act. In a federal suit filed in 2017, nursing employees accused Jackson Nurse Professionals of failing to pay overtime wages and wages owed at the time of employment termination. The company allegedly also unlawfully collected wages from employees who did not work the minimum hours required under their contracts.
In 2026, Jackson’s healthcare company, Avant Healthcare Professionals, agreed to a $3 million settlement with current and former foreign workers for allegedly trafficking foreign nurses. Since 2023, Avant faced a lawsuit from hired foreign nurses for allegedly violating the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act, claiming the company threatened to report foreign nurses to U.S. immigration officials if they quit or breached their contracts. The foreign nurses argued working for Avant was “essentially indentured servitude” and claimed the suit was about labor trafficking and its impact on the workforce.
HEADLINE: "MAGA Candidate Pays Out To Cheated Workers Despite Pro-Jobs Campaign: Report" [Raw Story, 9/7/26]
Jackson Faced Scrutiny For His Companies’ Multi-Million-Dollar Payments To Settle Claims They Exploited Workers And Breached Labor Laws Despite Jackson’s Promise To Create Jobs And Bring “Business Solutions To Georgia Just Like President Trump.” According to the Daily Beast, "A MAGA billionaire vowing to create record jobs if he becomes Georgia’s next governor has come under fire over multi-million-dollar payments his companies made to settle claims that they exploited workers and breached labor laws. Health executive-turned-Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson has pitched himself as someone who can boost jobs and the economy, with Donald Trump even attributing his electoral success so far to his business acumen and MAGA views. [...] In a post on X, Jackson also vowed to ‘create more jobs than have ever been created in the history of Georgia’. He also said that he would bring ‘business solutions to Georgia just like President Trump has for the United States—with a Southern tone.’ ‘I have built a $3 billion business without any outside financial help, and when you know how to do stuff like that, you can do a lot of things to solve problems, and that’s what I plan to do all over the state,’ he said in April." [Daily Beast, 9/7/26]
2022: Jackson Nurse Professionals, One Of Jackson’s Companies, Agreed To Pay Nearly $2 Million To Almost 300 Nursing Staff After Allegedly Failing To Pay Overtime And Other Wages Owed. According to the Daily Beast, "But documents show that at least two companies within Jackson’s health empire agreed to class action settlements over claims they failed to properly pay thousands of workers. The Daily Beast can reveal that one of those companies agreed to pay nearly $2 million to nursing staff after being accused of failing to pay overtime and other wages owed. [...] But in 2022, Jackson Nurse Professionals, a travel nursing staffing company that is part of Jackson Healthcare, agreed to settle a 2017 class action from workers accusing the company of failing to properly pay their overtime, bonuses, and wages owed when they left their jobs. The settlement of almost $2 million covered about 300 workers." [Daily Beast, 9/7/26]
Nursing Staff Alleged Jackson Nurse Professionals Violated California’s Unfair Competition Law And Violated The Fair Labor Standards Act. According to the Order Re: Final Approval of Class Action Settlement in E. Howard Musgrove v. Jackson Nurse Professionals, LLC et al, "E. Howard Musgrove (‘plaintiff’ or ‘Musgrove’) filed this action, on behalf of himself and others similarly situated, against Jackson Nurse Professionals, LLC (‘Jackson’ or ‘defendant’) on September 6, 2017.1 (See Dkt. 1, Complaint). On December 11, 2017, plaintiff filed the operative First Amended Complaint (Dkt. 27, ‘FAC’), asserting claims for: (1) failure to pay overtime wages, Cal. Lab. Code §§ 510, 1194; (2) violations of California’s Unfair Competition Law (‘UCL’), Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code §§ 17200, et seq.; (3) waiting time penalties, Cal. Lab. Code § 203; (4) violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act (‘FLSA’), 29 U.S.C. §§ 201, et seq." [Order Re: Final Approval Of Class Action Settlement, E. Howard Musgrove v. Jackson Nurse Professionals, LLC et al, 2:17-cv-06565-FMO-SS, U.S. District Court Central District Of California, 6/24/22]
Nursing Staff Alleged Jackson Nurse Professionals Failed To Pay Overtime Wages And Failed To Include Per Diem Payments And Bonuses In The Regular Rate Of Pay When Calculating Overtime Wages. According to the Order Re: Final Approval of Class Action Settlement in E. Howard Musgrove v. Jackson Nurse Professionals, LLC et al, "E. Howard Musgrove (‘plaintiff’ or ‘Musgrove’) filed this action, on behalf of himself and others similarly situated, against Jackson Nurse Professionals, LLC (‘Jackson’ or ‘defendant’) on September 6, 2017.1 (See Dkt. 1, Complaint). On December 11, 2017, plaintiff filed the operative First Amended Complaint (Dkt. 27, ‘FAC’), asserting claims for: (1) failure to pay overtime wages, Cal. Lab. Code §§ 510, 1194; [...] based on Jackson’s failure to include per diem payments and bonuses in the regular rate of pay when calculating overtime wages. (See Dkt. 27, FAC at ¶¶ 16-18, 33-63)" [Order Re: Final Approval Of Class Action Settlement, E. Howard Musgrove v. Jackson Nurse Professionals, LLC et al, 2:17-cv-06565-FMO-SS, U.S. District Court Central District Of California, 6/24/22]
Nursing Staff Alleged Jackson Nurse Professionals Violated Labor Code And Failed To Pay All Wages Owed At The Time Of Employment Termination. According to the First Amended Complaint in E. Howard Musgrove v. Jackson Nurse Professionals, LLC et al, "Third Cause of Action 14. That the Court declare, adjudge and decree that Defendants violated Labor Code sections 201, 202 and 203 by willfully failing to pay all wages owed at the time of termination of employment of Plaintiff and other class members who are former employees of Defendants; 15. For statutory wage penalties pursuant to California Labor Code section 203 for Plaintiff and all other class members who are former employees of Defendants as of September 6, 2014; and 16. For such other and further relief as the Court may deem equitable and appropriate." [First Amended Complaint, E. Howard Musgrove v. Jackson Nurse Professionals, LLC et al, 2:17-cv-06565-FMO-SS, U.S. District Court Central District Of California, 12/17/17]
Nursing Staff Alleged Jackson Nurse Professionals Failed To Pay Correct Premium Overtime Rates And Unlawfully Collected Wages From Employees Who Did Not Work The Minimum Hours Required Under Their Contracts. According to the First Amended Complaint in E. Howard Musgrove v. Jackson Nurse Professionals, LLC et al, "Second Cause of Action 10. That the Court declare, adjudge and decree that Defendants violated Business & Professions Code section 17200, et. seq. by (1) failing to pay Plaintiff and other class members the correct premium overtime rates for all hours worked in excess of 8 hours per day and/or 40 hours per week in violation of Labor Code section 510, and (2) collecting wages from Plaintiff and other class members when they did not work the minimum number of hours required by their Assignment Contracts in violation of Labor Code section 221. 11. For an accounting for and restitution of the wages unlawfully withheld and retained by Defendants during the class period; 12. Fort reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of suit incurred herein pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 1021.5; and 13. For such other and further relief as the Court may deem equitable and appropriate." [First Amended Complaint, E. Howard Musgrove v. Jackson Nurse Professionals, LLC et al, 2:17-cv-06565-FMO-SS, U.S. District Court Central District Of California, 12/17/17]
Despite Running As An Immigration Hardliner, Jackson’s Avant Healthcare Professionals Agreed To A Settlement That Would Give More Than 5,000 Current And Former Immigrant Workers A Share Of A $3 Million Payout And Waive Unpaid Fees After The Company Allegedly Threatened To Contact USCIS If Foreign Nurses Quit. According to CNN, "As billionaire Republican Rick Jackson blanketed Georgia’s airwaves this spring with ads vowing a crackdown on undocumented immigrants if elected governor, a company in his healthcare empire was in the throes of a costly legal battle over the treatment of its immigrant workforce. A lawsuit filed by foreign-born nurses accused Avant Healthcare Professionals of luring them to the United States with the promise of the American Dream, only to pay them substandard wages and trap them in rigid contracts for years. According to their lawsuit, when they tried to quit, Avant threatened to contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement and sought to charge them five-figure fees for leaving. ‘Avant’s ‘employment’ is essentially indentured servitude,’ the plaintiffs wrote in their complaint. Avant denied wrongdoing. But on June 22 — days after Jackson became the GOP nominee for governor — the company agreed to a settlement that would give more than 5,000 current and former immigrant workers a share of a $3 million payout and waive unpaid fees." [CNN, 8/20/26]
2023: The Foreign Nurses Claimed Avant Repeatedly Threatened To Report Nurses Who Breached Their Contracts To U.S. Immigration Officials Despite Being Required To Sign Their Contracts Swiftly, And Noted They Were Paid Less Than American Counterparts. According to the Daily Caller, "Both Lewis and Byron alleged they were paid less than their American counterparts and claim Avant repeatedly threatened to report nurses who breached their contracts to U.S. immigration officials — despite assurances that they would receive prevailing wages, the Florida Trend reported. Lewis further claimed that Avant did not uphold a promise to help bring her daughter to the U.S. Lewis and Byron claimed they did not fully understand several provisions in their contracts and were required to sign them swiftly, according to the Florida Trend." [Daily Caller, 3/17/26]
2023: Foreign Nurses Latoya Lewis And Lucinda Byron Sued Avant For Violating The Trafficking Victims Protection Act And Fair Labor Standards Act After Avant Allegedly Threatened To Report Them To USCIS And Misled Them To Believe Quitting Would Affect Their Immigration Status. According to CNN, "Nurses Latoya Lewis and Lucinda Byron saw Avant as a ticket to new lives in the United States. Lewis arrived in 2021 from Jamaica; Byron, originally from St. Vincent and the Grenadines, began working at a South Dakota hospital in 2022. Both signed multi-year contracts with Avant. According to a lawsuit first filed in 2023, they soon found themselves in an inflexible arrangement where they could take little time off, were paid less than colleagues employed directly by the hospitals and had little opportunity for advancement. They struggled to get by on their wages, the complaint said. When they tried to quit, Avant warned them they would face fees to recoup the costs of bringing them to the US, the complaint said. Staff allegedly threatened to contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement and misled them into believing that leaving could jeopardize their immigration status. Like many foreign nurses, they arrived on EB3 visas, which come with a green card that generally doesn’t require them to stay with the company that helped bring them to the US. Avant wanted $41,832 from Byron when she left and had 30 days to pay, the complaint said. Lawyers for Lewis and Byron argued these contracts and Avant’s efforts to enforce them violated the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Lewis and Byron were not available to speak to CNN, their lawyers said." [CNN, 8/20/26]
2023: The Foreign Nurses Contended Working For Avant Was “Essentially Indentured Servitude,” Arguing The Case Was About Labor Trafficking And Its Impact On The Workforce, Including The Failure To Pay Minimum Wages, Suppression Of Wages, And Unfair Competition. According to the Daily Caller, "In 2023, two nurses — Latoya Lewis of Jamaica and Lucinda Byron of St. Thomas and the Grenadines — filed a lawsuit against Avant Healthcare Professionals in connection with EB-3 visas. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, read, ‘This case is about labor trafficking and its impact on an essential workforce, including failure to pay minimum wages, suppression of wages, and unfair competition.’ [...] ‘Avant led Plaintiffs and its other foreign-recruited healthcare workers to believe that they would come to the United States to practice nursing in a safe environment with a good employer who would treat them fairly,’ the lawsuit alleged. ‘But working for Avant was nothing like that. Rather, Avant’s ‘employment’ is essentially indentured servitude.’" [Daily Caller, 3/17/26]