Billionaire Rick Jackson has entered the Georgia governor's race after donating $1 million to a pro-Trump super PAC, vaulting him 15 points ahead of Trump's endorsed candidate, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Operatives see the donation as an attempt to sway Trump's support, fitting a pattern of pay-to-play politics. Jackson's team denies this, while Jones's campaign calls Jackson a "Never Trumper" for past donations to Trump's rivals.
Jackson gubernatorial campaign entry
- ▪A recent poll showed Rick Jackson leading his opponent, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, by 15 points
- ▪Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, an informal Trump adviser, has endorsed Rick Jackson
- ▪Billionaire Rick Jackson, an Atlanta health care executive, has filed to run for governor of Georgia
- ▪Rick Jackson plans to spend $50 million of his own money on the May 19 primary race
Jackson million-dollar Trump donation
- ▪Rick Jackson donated $1 million to the pro-Trump super PAC MAGA Inc. on December 10
- ▪A spokesperson for Rick Jackson denied that the donation was an attempt to buy Donald Trump's support
- ▪Jackson's donation was made eight weeks before he launched his gubernatorial campaign
- ▪In his campaign announcement video, Rick Jackson said he donated to Trump because "Trump's success inspired me" to run
Trump endorsement influence tactics
- ▪GOP operatives suspect Rick Jackson's donation was partly intended to influence Donald Trump's endorsement in the race
- ▪Jackson attended a dinner with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago where he told the former president, "I'm going to be your favorite governor."
- ▪One potential outcome of the donation is that it could keep Donald Trump from attacking Rick Jackson
Trump pay-to-play pattern
- ▪Donors seeking endorsements, pardons, and deregulation have funneled money into Donald Trump's political operations and other related entities
- ▪A pattern exists where wealthy donors to Donald Trump's political operations have received favorable treatment from the White House
Jones Trump endorsement status
- ▪A spokesperson for Burt Jones called Rick Jackson a "Never Trumper" who is trying to "buy his way out of his own record."
- ▪Despite Rick Jackson's donation, Trump's support for Burt Jones has not appeared to cool, recently calling him "incredible" at an event
- ▪Donald Trump had previously endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a longtime ally, for Georgia governor
Jackson political donor history
- ▪During the 2024 presidential campaign, Rick Jackson donated to two of Donald Trump's primary opponents, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy
- ▪Before his $1 million contribution to MAGA Inc., Rick Jackson had not donated to Donald Trump or his allied PACs
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