Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, pictured here, sued Lt. Gov. Burt Jones over the legality of the lieutenant governor's campaign funding. (Megan Varner/Getty Images)
Carr campaign spokeswoman Julia Mazzone said in a statement that Jones "is using his position to sidestep contribution limits, raise six-figure checks during legislative sessions and funnel unlimited money into a competitive primary through a structure only he can access."
"Republicans cannot ignore the cloud of unethical, illegal and corrupt behavior that surrounds Burt Jones," Mazzone said.
"Leadership committees were never intended to be unregulated campaign machines," the statement added. "The court has ruled on this before, and the Constitution prohibits exactly what’s happening here. We're taking action to uphold transparency and accountability standards."
A Jones campaign spokesperson, meanwhile, has accused Carr of being hypocritical since his office previously defended the same law that he is now challenging in court. Carr has argued that the attorney general must defend challenged laws even if he personally disagrees with them.
"Georgia’s lackluster Attorney General defended this law two years ago," Kendyl Parker, Jones' spokeswoman said. "Now, he’s running for governor and wants to challenge the same law he once defended. If hypocrisy were an Olympic sport, he’d take gold."
Carr launched his gubernatorial bid last year, saying he needed more time to raise money because he is not personally wealthy. His campaign has expressed concerns for months that Jones will use his leadership committee and family wealth to support his primary campaign.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones' campaign criticized Georgia AG Chris Carr as a hypocrite since his office defended the same law in 2022 that he is now challenging in court. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)
Carr asks that the court block Jones from giving any cash to dark money groups or making any loans to his regular campaign committee during the primary. He also wants the magistrate judge to probe where Jones' $10 million loan came from, citing a 2022 financial disclosure showing that Jones did not have enough liquid assets for a loan of that quantity.
The attorney general's campaign continues to express concern that Jones could raise unlimited money to repay his loan and then give the repaid money to his candidate committee for the primary, arguing that this would wreck campaign contribution restrictions.
"Mr. Jones is raising and spending unlimited amounts of money in the primary—and Mr. Carr is limited in what he can raise by Georgia's existing campaign contribution limits," the lawsuit reads. "This Court should level this uneven playing field by preventing Mr. Jones from using his leadership committee during the primary election."
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Carr's campaign has also called on the Ethics Commission for an advisory legal opinion on whether Jones' fundraising activity is legal.
The Republican primary will be held in May, and the general election next year in the purple state is expected to be one of the most expensive governor's races in the country.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/georgia-attorney-general-sues-gop-opponent-governors-race-over-campaign-financing