Judge lets Burt Jones’ committee continue to spend on his campaign, for now

Jones’ campaign saw that as a win.

“We’re glad the court saw through Rick Jackson’s billionaire-backed lawfare,” said Jones campaign spokesperson Kayla Lott in a statement.

A spokesperson for Jackson’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

The case is the latest development in a yearslong dispute over “leadership committees,” campaign fundraising arms created by a 2021 state law that can circumvent contribution limits placed on Georgia candidates, allowing them to raise unlimited campaign cash.

The law applies to the governor, lieutenant governor, the Democratic and Republican nominees for those offices and legislative leaders of both parties. That means in the Republican primary, only Jones as the sitting lieutenant governor controls one of these committees. His opponents, meanwhile, are subject to $8,400 contributions for the primary and general elections and $4,800 for runoffs.

The stay is a significant win for Jones. A preliminary injunction would bar Jones from using his committee through the May primary, which may be all Jackson needed if he were to win the Republican nomination. At that point, Jackson would be entitled to the same instrument he’s fighting to take away from Jones.

The timing is critical, with the primary just a few months away. Adam Charnes, an attorney representing Jackson who opposed the decision, had urged the judge to stop Jones from accessing the funds.

“They’re going to turn on the spigots, and the money is going to go out the door,” Charnes said.

It’s far from the first time leadership committees have been challenged in court. Both Republican David Perdue and Democrat Stacey Abrams successfully stopped Gov. Brian Kemp’s leadership committee from raising and spending money during his reelection campaign in 2022 until Kemp formally won the Republican nomination.

Statewide officeholders and lawmakers cannot raise money during the legislative session, while leadership committees can. It provides those who control leadership committees with substantial leverage over their political rivals.

Recent lawsuits taking different approaches to challenge the 2021 law have been unsuccessful. Judges have rejected lawsuits from both Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who are also running for governor in the Republican primary.

Jackson’s attorneys argued that Jones’ ability to raise unlimited contributions, while Jackson faces strict caps, puts Jackson at a significant disadvantage.

Meanwhile, Jones’ attorneys contended that Jackson conflated a leadership committee, which Jackson is not entitled to, with a candidate committee.

They also argued that while Jones’ leadership committee coordinates with his campaign, other leadership committees are still free to work with Jackson, so no uneven playing field exists.

Judge Thrash said that barring Jones’ leadership committee from raising and spending money on his campaign wouldn’t affect Jackson but would have a “massive effect on Mr. Jones.”

But Jackson doesn’t just want to prevent Jones’ committee from spending money. In a separate motion, Jackson’s attorneys have asked Thrash to hold Jones and his leadership committee in civil contempt.

In a legal filing last week, Mike Zolnierowicz, a political consultant for Jackson’s campaign, contended that Jones’ leadership committee continued and even accelerated spending money on digital media after Thrash had placed a temporary restraining order on such acts. Additionally, Zolnierowicz said that the committee continued running ads on Facebook after the February order.