Chris Carr Just Sued Burt Jones Over Leadership Committee. He Might Be Right.
Well, that escalated quickly. (Sorry, I am on a role with goofy movie quotes)
This morning, Attorney General Chris Carr dropped a federal lawsuit on Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones that reads less like a campaign spat and more like a full-on constitutional brawl. While I am sure the suit would be labeled by some as a political stunt, it goes straight at the heart of Georgia’s leadership committee law and argues it’s being used to tilt the 2026 GOP primary.
Let me say this up front. I don’t blame Burt Jones for using every tool the law gives him. If it’s legal and available, why wouldn’t he? But you have to admit, it’s not exactly a level playing field.
Here’s the problem; Jones, as a sitting Lieutenant Governor, can chair a leadership committee. That gives him a second campaign war chest with no contribution limits, no restrictions on coordinating with his own campaign, and no fundraising blackout during the legislative session. Meanwhile, Carr and every other candidate who isn’t already Governor, Lt. Governor, or Speaker is stuck playing by the normal rules with a maximum contribution limit of $8,400 per donor. One account, capped contributions, and no fundraising during session.
Carr says that’s unconstitutional, and honestly, I believe he’s got a case. The Supreme Court has already said you can’t have different contribution limits for candidates running in the same race when Justice Alito wrote in Davis v. FEC that the Court has “never upheld the constitutionality of a law that imposes different contribution limits for candidates who are competing against each other.” And federal courts in Georgia have already slapped this kind of setup down when they blocked Brian Kemp from using his leadership committee against David Perdue in 2022.
It should not escape your attention that Chris Carr is making the exact same constitutional argument that David Perdue made back in 2022 because you know who defended the leadership committee law against Perdue? Chris Carr. As Attorney General, he went to federal court to argue that the system was fair, that the rules were clear, and that unlimited fundraising for leadership committees didn’t violate the Constitution.
It’s not illegal to flip sides when you go from AG to candidate, but it’s definitely worth noting. Carr is now using the same arguments he once fought to shut down. The same constitutional principle he called defensible in court is now the heart of his lawsuit. That doesn’t mean he’s wrong but it does mean we’re watching a man try to climb out of a trap he helped build.
I’ve been watching this issue for years. When I was in office, it became a bit of a tradition for me after the Sine Die dinner break to scour bills and conference committee reports looking for language that would sneak in leadership PACs. I found it more than once and made plenty of noise about it. I once had to call and apologize to a Kemp staffer after the session was over because I lost my cool over it. My legislative allies and I were able to stop several attempts but the minute I was out of the legislature, they passed it into law.
Today, leadership committees are very popular under the Gold Dome because they’re so powerful. And if Carr wins this lawsuit, the fallout won’t stop with Burt Jones. Plenty of folks under the Gold Dome will be rethinking their strategy and Carr will definitely be the source of some hurt feelings. It’s like telling someone you are going to take away their Ferrari and make them drive a Kia just like everyone else. It’s what’s fair, but don’t think the Ferrari owners will be happy.
Further, Carr isn’t just asking the court to block future fundraising; he wants it all rolled back. He wants an injunction on spending, an audit of what’s already been done, and a judge to monitor every dollar going in or out.
In his federal complaint, Carr is also continuing to raise questions about a $10 million personal loan Jones made to his leadership PAC that Carr says doesn’t line up with Jones’ old financial disclosure. That disclosure showed Jones had $700,000 in liquid assets at the time it was filed. The State Ethics Commission dismissed a complaint Carr filed over this issue a couple weeks ago saying that Jones’s personal financial disclosure was 3 years old and may not reflect Jones’s current ability to give himself that loan. They also said Carr failed to identify a specific violation of the law which would be required for the Commission to begin an investigation. But now a federal judge will be taking a look at that too.
Again, this isn’t about whether you like Chris Carr or Burt Jones. It’s about whether the rules apply to everybody. Right now, it is clear that they don’t. One candidate has a second committee with unlimited cash. The rest don’t. That’s not a level playing field. That’s not free speech being treated equally.
If the court agrees, we could see the leadership committee system get shut down in primaries across the board.
Put away the popcorn and start taking notes because this one’s going to matter.
Read the complaint filed in federal court for yourself here:
