Georgia Attorney General Sues Lt. Governor Over No-Limit Campaign Funds

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr filed a federal lawsuit against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, disputing Jones' use of a leadership committee that allows unlimited fundraising, a mechanism Carr and other candidates cannot access due to state law. Carr argues that this fundraising setup violates his First Amendment right to free speech and 14th Amendment right to equal protection by favoring Jones and restricting Carr's campaign spending. The leadership committees were established by a 2021 state law that permits governors, lieutenant governors, and legislative leaders to raise unlimited funds, while Carr's fundraising is capped at $8,400 per donor for the primary. Carr seeks a court order to bar Jones from using the leadership committee funds during the primary, prevent repayment of a $10 million loan to the committee with donated money, and enforce transparency and independent oversight of the committee's activities. Jones' campaign called Carr hypocritical for now challenging a law his office defended in 2022, but Carr maintains he must defend laws regardless of personal views. This legal dispute unfolds amid a competitive Republican primary for governor in 2026, expected to be one of the priciest in the nation.