Billionaire Rick Jackson’s Political Ambitions and Lobbying Ties
Rick Jackson, a billionaire entrepreneur, has entered the political arena as a candidate for Georgia governor. Despite his positioning as a political newcomer, his past involvement with Washington, D.C. lobbyists raises questions about his outsider status.
Jackson, CEO and founder of Alpharetta-based Jackson Healthcare, kicked off his gubernatorial campaign in February and went on to secure the Republican nomination by June. He touts his business acumen as his primary qualification for office, asserting during a February interview on the Shelley Wynter Show that he never sought financial favors from legislators for his company. He reiterated this stance at an engagement with the Republican Jewish Coalition the following month.
However, records from the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission present a different narrative. From 2015 through 2026, Jackson Healthcare employed at least seven lobbyists to advocate on behalf of the company’s interests in state and local government affairs.
One notable lobbyist was Blake Fulenwider, a former deputy commissioner of the Department of Community Health (DCH). Fulenwider was engaged in 2022 to lobby for Jackson Healthcare when its subsidiary, Healthcare Workforce Logistics, had its no-bid contract with the DCH renewed—a contract initially awarded in 2020.
Congressional records further reveal that Jackson Healthcare, along with its subsidiaries, expended nearly $2 million on federal lobbying efforts between 2014 and 2026. These efforts aimed at promoting their interests in Congress and the White House.
In a notable lobbying endeavor in 2025, USAntibotics, a Jackson Healthcare subsidiary specializing in generic drugs, faced financial difficulties. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the company was contemplating bankruptcy or securing a government contract. USAntibotics invested $360,000 in lobbying the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This resulted in a $30 million contract from HHS in June 2026 to produce amoxicillin trihydrate, an antibiotic for bacterial infections.
Between 2020 and 2022, Avant Health Professionals, another subsidiary, allocated $360,000 to lobby Congress on various issues, including COVID-19 relief funding, potentially opening avenues for accessing public funds.
Jackson’s business dealings have drawn scrutiny on previous occasions. The Daily Beast reported this week that his company settled claims related to unpaid wages and alleged exploitation of foreign-born nurses for several million dollars.
Jackson’s opponent in the gubernatorial race is Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta. Recent polling by InsiderAdvantage in August indicated a competitive race, with both candidates neck and neck.
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