Elected leaders highlighted Jones’ and Jackson’s record of corruption and refusal to stand up for Georgia
Today, the Democratic Party of Georgia continued the ‘Jones and Jackson Out For Themselves Tour’ in Savannah to call out Burt Jones’ and Rick Jackson’s long record of self-dealing and self-enrichment at the expense of Georgia taxpayers.
At the event, Mayor Van Johnson, Public Service Commissioner Dr. Alicia Johnson, Chatham County Commissioner Aaron “Adot” Whitely, and candidate for Georgia House District 162 Orlando Scott spoke about Jones’ and Jackson’s record of putting themselves ahead of what is best for Georgia.
Here’s what they had to say about Jones’ and Jackson’s longstanding corruption:
Mayor Van Johnson: “ Every day I learn something new about [Jones and Jackson]. Every day, I learn things about sweetheart deals, I learn things about back door compromises – and one thing it makes absolutely clear to me is that neither one of these gentlemen will be fit to be Georgia’s governor. To me, whether it’s Burt Jones changing the law to benefit his family’s business or Rick Jackson making [a billion dollars] in no-bid contracts, one thing is absolutely clear to me: This does not reflect the lives that the Georgians are experiencing right now.”
Dr. Alicia Johnson: “[Jones and Jackson support] the tariffs that have threatened hundreds of jobs right here at the Port of Savannah, [jobs] belonging to our friends, our family members, and our loved ones, and our neighbors. The very same tariffs that continue to take money out of working pockets, and the very same tariffs that have jacked up the cost of food, fuels, and our everyday living items. […] We do not have any business putting people in office to lead our state who are making hardworking Georgians all across our state suffer.”
Commissioner Aaron “Adot” Whitely: “ [Jones’] self-dealing is so bad that even the Republicans are saying that he’s a corrupt person. […] Now, if you listen to what Chris Carr’s campaign said about Jones, said, quote, ‘Republicans cannot ignore the cloud of unethical, illegal, and corrupt behavior that surrounds Burt Jones.’ Chris Carr said that, our attorney general. That says a lot, and I’m not taking that lightly.”
Candidate Orlando Scott: “Voters across our state have seen Burt Jones using the legislative session to talk about how Jackson has raised costs for Georgians through his billion dollar health care company. […] Jones and Jackson’s never-ending corruption is exactly what people hate about politics.”
Here’s what to know about Burt Jones’ and Rick Jackson’s record of self-enrichment:
- Burt Jones has a long record of corruption and enriching himself in public office, including changing the law to benefit his family’s business by backing a plan to develop a massive data center project.
- He has also weaponized legislative session and has been accused of killing bills from his Republicans who backed his opponents in order to advance his political career.
- Rick Jackson has faced scrutiny for enriching himself on no-bid state contracts, making over a billion dollars from state agencies – all of which would pose a significant conflict of interest if elected governor.
- Jackson has also faced accusations of defrauding seniors by scamming Medicare through his company, and has admitted on several occasions that his policy decisions are driven by what will best benefit his bottom line.
This blatant self-enrichment comes as Jackson and Jones both oppose Medicaid expansion and support cost-raising policies coming out of DC, working to line their own pockets at the same time that Georgians are struggling to keep up with the cost-of-living crisis sweeping our state.
The ‘Jones and Jackson Are Out For Themselves Tour’ kicked off in Columbus earlier this week, and will continue onto Macon and Atlanta, for which details will be released in coming days.
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