by Ty Tagami | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA — Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr launched an attack against his Republican primary opponent for governor Thursday, calling for an investigation of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ $10 million loan to his own campaign.
“In his 2022 financial disclosure, Jones reported a $12 million net worth with only $700,000 in liquid assets,” Carr’s campaign said. “Now he claims to have loaned $10 million to his leadership committee — 14 times what he previously disclosed. Either he misrepresented his finances then or he’s misrepresenting them now, and Georgians deserve the truth.”
Jones’ camp promptly dismissed the allegation, which was detailed in a complaint to the State Ethics Commission Thursday.
“Not surprised by this weak attempt to get attention — it’s exactly what you’d expect from a campaign that’s losing steam with many months to go until Election Day,” Jones campaign spokeswoman Kendyl Parker said.
Carr was the first leading Republican to announce his candidacy. Jones then jumped into the race last week.
Mandatory campaign finance disclosures they filed last week show each raised about $3 million from donors. But Jones — an executive in a family-owned oil company — leapt far ahead by adding another $10 million of his own money. He benefits from a 2021 law that allows him to collect unlimited sums due to his role as lieutenant governor.
The law authorized so-called leadership committees as fundraising vehicles. The governor also has one, as do legislative leaders. Whoever wins the primaries for governor and lieutenant governor can also have one.
On the Democratic side, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and state Sen. Jason Esteves, a former member of the Atlanta school board, had each raised about $1 million. State Rep. Derrick Jackson from Tyrone raised less than a tenth as much.
