Jeffares Was Personally Recruited by GA Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Fake Elector

Atlanta — After reporting on Tuesday revealed that Rick Jeffares, a member of the Georgia State Election Board, suggested himself for a job in a second Trump administration to a former Trump adviser, a new report from The Bulwark is raising more questions and serious ethical concerns.

The Bulwark’s report raises questions on whether Jeffares’ personal business could benefit from a position in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the agency where he suggested to Trump’s former White House Political Director that he’d like a position if Trump were to win the 2024 election. The story also reveals how Jeffares was personally recruited by Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who’s under investigation for alleged efforts to help Trump overturn the 2020 election.

“Jeffares’s suggestion of himself for a specific job in another potential Trump administration while serving on Georgia’s election board, and passing new election rules supported by Trump, reeks of corruption. Georgians, as the MAGA operation changes our election rules we must stay vigilant. It's more important than ever to get registered, tell your friends and family to register, and make your plan to vote early. Our democracy depends on active participation — we won’t let those with questionable ethics undermine it,” said Max Flugrath, Fair Fight Communications Director.

Key Takeaways from The Bulwark’s New Report:

Conflict of Interest: Rick Jeffares, a member of Georgia’s State Election Board, suggested himself for a job in a potential second Trump administration, should Trump win the 2024 election. Despite his denials, Jeffares floated the idea to Brian Jack, Trump’s former White House Political Director, who’s now running for Congress in Georgia with Trump’s endorsement. This raises serious concerns about Jeffares’s impartiality while serving on a government board.

Ties to Trump’s Inner Circle: Jeffares was appointed to the State Election Board by Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who’s under investigation for his role in Trump’s fake elector scheme. This connection underscores the deep ties between Jeffares and Trump’s key Georgia allies, raising further questions about his motivations on the board.

Ethical and Financial Concerns: Whether Jeffares’s request for an EPA job was “formal” or informal, it presents a clear conflict of interest. While serving on the State Election Board, he advocated for a job that a presidential candidate, who could benefit from the board’s rule changes, could offer him. With at least one of Jeffares’ personal businesses involved in wastewater management, Jeffares could stand to financially benefit from deregulation under a potential Trump administration.

Read the Full Story: MAGA Member of Georgia Election Board Hinted at Trump Admin Job Before Backing Controversial New Rule

Background on Unlawful Meeting of Election Board: On July 12, Republican members of the Georgia State Election Board went rogue to set up a meeting without public notice and seemingly without input from the Board’s Chair. Their actions were not in compliance with Georgia law which requires the Board Chair to give prior notice to each Board Member of the time and place of each meeting. The rules they tried to ram through in their unlawful meeting are the very rules that they later held another meeting to engage in a do-over vote and passed after a lawsuit alleged the meeting violated state law.

Background on the MAGA Certification Strategy: The MAGA efforts to change Georgia’s election certification rules, being pushed by the GA GOP and RNC operatives and approved by State Election Board members, build on other efforts by Trump allies to obstruct certification. Fulton County Election Board member Julie Adams filed a suit challenging a Georgia law that prevents local officials from refusing certification. She’s represented by the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute in her lawsuit and also works with the Election Integrity Network, founded by Cleta Mitchell, who joined Trump’s infamous call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. In 2020, a Coffee County elections official delayed certifying President Joe Biden’s win in Georgia and refused to validate the recount results, citing MAGA-backed election conspiracies.

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