Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate Faces Backlash Over Employment Claims

Rick Jackson, running as the Republican candidate for governor of Georgia, is under fire after some critics labeled him a “con artist.” This criticism intensified following a debate earlier this week where Jackson struggled to clarify if there were any illegal workers employed at his properties.

During the debate, when asked directly by fellow Republican front-runner Lt. Gov. Bert Jones if he had any illegal workers, Jackson replied with a hesitant, “I don’t know.” He claimed not to be directly involved in hiring, yet noted that those responsible should verify employees’ eligibility for work. This was pointed out as contradictory to previous statements he made in a sworn affidavit.

After Jackson’s mixed messages during the debate, observers quickly highlighted his prior sworn testimony in a workers’ compensation case. He had previously admitted to not using the federal I-9 form to check on new employees’ work eligibility.

Political strategist Phil Vangelakos remarked on the situation, stating, “Rick Jackson is lying to someone. Either he lied under oath, or he lied to Georgians on the debate stage. It’s clear he knows he’s employing illegal immigrants.”

Critics further accused Jackson of hypocrisy, as he runs a campaign against illegal immigration while allegedly employing undocumented workers. Debbie Dooley, a Georgia Tea Party activist, asserted, “He employs illegal aliens even though he is running a campaign against them.”

Details from a workers’ compensation lawsuit against Jackson Investment Group LLC revealed he paid at least one individual illegally for landscaping at his residence. The lawsuit also raised concerns about long-term employment of individuals not authorized to work.

In the lawsuit documents, Jackson claimed he was unaware of any illegal workers but contradicted himself by stating that his team did not use the necessary I-9 form to check on new employees. When asked about verifying employment through the I-9 process, he responded with a simple “No.”

Jackson described the situation as confusing in his affidavit, suggesting that if JIG had employees, they often came from another source, which muddied the understanding of who was actually employed.

Greg Bluestein from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted that Jackson’s competitors were quick to seize on his contradictory statements following the debate. Jones’s campaign even released an ad highlighting that Jackson had not conducted any background checks for many years, depicting him as lying to Georgians about his hiring practices.

Responding to the mounting criticisms, Jackson’s campaign asserted that the claims against him were motivated by political rivalry. A spokesperson accused Jones of attacking Jackson over the actions of a landscaper, maintaining that Jackson didn’t knowingly hire illegal workers and emphasized the use of E-Verify in his healthcare company since 2012.

The Republican primary is scheduled for May 19 and will include other prominent candidates like Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.