Leading GOP Candidate In Georgia Governor’s Race Sues Trump-Backed Opponent For Defamation

Billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson on Monday filed a defamation lawsuit against Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, his Republican primary opponent in the state’s 2026 gubernatorial race.

The lawsuit alleges that Jones, who has President Donald Trump’s endorsement in the race, made three separate “defamatory” statements about Jackson on social media this past week. The complaint was filed in the Superior Court of Fulton County this morning, according to Jackson’s campaign.

“Burt Jones is learning real fast that the days of him doing and saying anything for his own benefit are coming to an end,” Jackson campaign spokesman Dave Abrams said in a statement provided to the 🏢Daily Caller News Foundation on Monday. “Rick Jackson is holding self-serving politician Burt Jones accountable for his words and his actions.”

Jackson alleged in part of the complaint that “rather than standing on his record, fighting like an honest man, and earning the trust and support of Georgians, Burt Jones is resorting to what he knows best: cheap and dirty 🏛️Politics.”

“Rick Jackson’s thin skin is showing,” Kayla Lott, a spokesperson for Jones’ campaign, told the DCNF in a statement on Monday. “Why is Rick so embarrassed to have received a billion dollars in state contracts, helped Planned Parenthood recruit, and staff a pediatric doctor’s office that serves ‘transgender patients.’ He should be proud Georgia knows how his company made its money.”