TODAY: Savannah Elected Officials Call Out Rick Jackson for Profiting Off Georgians' Pain

SAVANNAH — Today, Savannah elected officials gathered to call out Rick Jackson for his newly reported $20 million scheme with Donald Trump to profit off shipping American oil to India while Georgians pay record gas prices. 

This week, a new report from Bloomberg revealed that Rick Jackson loaned $20 million to a Trump-backed Texas oil refinery that is poised to send American oil to India. While Trump's war in Iran drives up gas prices, Jackson is plotting to send diesel overseas to India instead of keeping it here at home, leaving Georgians to pay the price while he profits.  

State Representative Anne Allen Westbrook, Commissioner Aaron “Adot” Whitely, and Democratic State House candidate Orlando Scott blasted Jackson for profiting off Georgians’ pain at the pump in such a brazen scheme that even Republicans have spoken out against such shameless self-enrichment. 

Here’s just some of what Westbrook, Whitely, and Scott had to say today:

State Representative Anne Allen Westbrook: “Jackson is in a direct deal with the Trump family, and he's looking to make even more money on the backs of Georgians by sending American diesel to India. Really, Rick? This is how you want to boost your bottom line? Exporting American diesel as prices climb is such a brazenly bad idea that even Republicans like Georgia's own Clay Fuller have spoken out against this shameless self-enrichment. That's more of what we can expect from Slick Rick. When he said he wanted to be just like Trump, he was not lying. He'll do anything to line his own pockets.”

Commissioner Aaron “Adot” Whitely: “[Jackson] benefits from the high prices. He really is just like Trump. He's actually looking to profit off of Georgians at every possible point. He's doing it in the healthcare space, and he's doing it at our pumps. Keisha Lance Bottoms, on the other hand, has made it clear that she would have suspended our gas tax if elected governor, and she's actually presented a plan to lower gas prices all across our state. She's also focused on bringing down gas and auto insurance costs. She announced her drive plan recently that will save Georgians $110 a year at a minimum. That's the type of leadership we need.”

Democratic State House candidate Orlando Scott: “Georgians are struggling with high gas and diesel prices, Slick Rick Jackson is looking to profit off of our pain at the pump. We know this because new reporting showing that he invested less than $20 million in a Texas oil refinery with Trump ties. What's more, Jackson is looking to export this American oil abroad to India, Georgians are paying a record price at the pump, but Rick Jackson is scheming to drive them even higher by outsourcing American oil abroad, and that's just plain wrong.”

Georgia drivers are paying nearly $60 per tank as a result of Donald Trump's reckless war in Iran. And while Georgians are struggling with sky-high gas prices, Rick Jackson is doing everything he can to tie himself to Trump and is putting his own interests ahead of the people of Georgia. 

Keisha is focused on lowering costs for Georgians through her DRIVE plan to save the average Georgia driver $110 dollars per year by eliminating the state auto insurance premium tax, rolling back the gas tax to 28 cents per gallon and diesel tax to 31.3 cents per gallon, and ending automatic annual fuel-tax increases.