In the Peach State, the governor’s race is heating up, especially on the GOP side. The contest to replace the term-limited incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp includes Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who carries President Donald Trump’s backing. But it's not an easy road for Jones.
An anonymous group is spending $5 million to paint Jones as an opportunist who is only out to enrich himself at the expense of Georgia taxpayers. I’ve received mailers, and I’ve seen ads on streaming services that try to make Jones look like a J.R. Ewing-level villain. And nobody knows who’s funding the campaign. It’s another example of dark money infecting our political system.
Side note: Jones is the Republicans’ best chance of keeping the Governor’s Mansion in GOP hands. I like Attorney General Chris Carr, but I think Jones is a stronger candidate. That’s not an endorsement but an observation. I will say that I don’t care for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, mostly for personality reasons.
“Someone operating under the name ‘Georgians for Integrity’ has dumped around $5 million into television ads, mailers, and texts,” reports the Associated Press’ Jeff Amy (in an article that’s uncharacteristically fair toward a Republican for Amy). The attacks claim Jones, who already has President Donald Trump’s endorsement in his run for governor next year, has been using his office to enrich himself.”
“For any Georgian settling down to watch a football game, the ads have been nearly inescapable since Thanksgiving,” Amy continues. “They’re the opening shot in the public battle for the Republican nomination that will be settled in May’s primary election. But the ads also show how dark money is influencing politics not only at the national level but in the states, with secretive interests dropping big sums seeking to shift public opinion.”
Related: Trump Picks His Dawg in Georgia’s GOP Governor Fight
Carr and Raffensperger insist that they’re not involved in the smear campaign, although Carr has made similar allegations about Jones — albeit less viciously. The donors get to protect their identities under the banner of “Georgians for Integrity.” One could argue that hiding behind a dark-money entity doesn’t say a whole lot about integrity.
The Jones campaign has threatened legal action against what one attorney calls “demonstrably false” claims that could constitute slander. However, the ads are still running, and mailers are going out.
Jones appeared on The Shelley Wynter Show on WSB Radio two weeks ago, and Wynter asked the lieutenant governor what he thought about the ads and how he responds to them.
“Well, I mean, they're just fabricated trash, you know?” Jones said. “It's a perfect example of why you can't get good folks to be in politics. I mean, because when you try to do everything the right way, and you get attacked because the people who are running against you or don't like you would rather try to tear you down and try to — instead of trying to win on the issues.”
“It’s all trash — fabricated,” he continued. “None of it’s true.”
Wynter asked Jones who he thought was behind the ads. The host noted that some of Georgia’s top political journalists can’t get to the bottom of who’s funding the attacks.
“So it's somebody who's trying to cover their tracks right now, which is another reason why you should question it,” Jones replied. “I mean, if you don't have the guts to come out here and call out somebody if you think they're using their office for political gain, then, like I said, put your name to it — kind of thing. But they want to be anonymous, spend a lot of money, and create a lot of lies about myself and my family.”
The person or people behind these attacks ought to have the balls to identify themselves rather than hiding behind a faceless PAC. It’s a heck of a lot easier for a man like Burt Jones to defend himself when he knows who he’s up against.
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