by Dave Williams | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA – The State Ethics Commission has dismissed a complaint calling for an investigation of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ $10 million loan to his gubernatorial campaign.
In a letter dated Monday, commission Director David Emadi wrote that the complaint failed to allege a violation of the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act.
“A financial disclosure report filed by Mr. Jones three years prior (filed 3/16/2022) which details his financial assets and standing at that specific point in time does not form a factual and legal basis to investigate an alleged false or incorrect filing regarding a loan made in a campaign disclosure report more than three years later,” Emadi wrote.
Campaign finance disclosures Jones and state Attorney General Chris Carr – who will face off in next year’s Republican gubernatorial primary – filed earlier this month show each raised about $3 million from contributors. But Jones — an executive in a family-owned oil company — added another $10 million of his own money.
The loan came from Jones’ leadership committee, which he created based on a 2021 law that allows him to collect unlimited campaign donations due to his role as lieutenant governor.
The law authorized leadership committees to raise campaign contributions on behalf of major-party candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, and legislative leadership positions. The law does not apply to those serving as attorney general.
After Carr’s gubernatorial campaign questioned the loan, the Jones campaign dismissed the complaint as a political ploy to gain attention.
Carr was the first Republican to enter the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp, announcing his candidacy late last year. Jones then jumped into the contest earlier this month.
