MAGA billionaire Rick Jackson is running to be Georgia’s next governor, vowing to tackle housing affordability and bring “the same type of business solutions that President Trump is bringing to our country.”
But the Daily Beast can reveal that one of his companies spent more than four years trying to take a Georgia couple’s home in a legal battle so brutal that court filings describe a cascade of devastating health problems for both spouses—and ultimately their deaths.
The saga began in 2007, when Jackson’s JIG Real Estate paid $239,500 for the home of Tammi and James Garland in a foreclosure sale that wasn’t supposed to take place.
The Garlands had already reached an agreement with their lender to cure their mortgage default, but a notification failure—or what a judge later described as an “email snafu”—meant the sale went ahead anyway.
Countrywide Home Loans rescinded the purchase two days later and returned JIG’s money with interest. But the company refused to accept it and demanded to keep the house, eventually suing the lender and the Garlands all the way to the Georgia Supreme Court.
Court filings describe a confrontation so ugly that a company representative allegedly threatened to “kick the hell” out of the couple if they did not leave.
According to a statement of material facts filed by the Garland’s attorneys, Tammi Garland suffered a seizure and collapsed during the confrontation. She died in 2008 from an accidental overdose of prescription medications after experiencing worsening pain, anxiety, and seizures that she attributed to the ordeal.
Her husband James, who was previously a “very healthy middle aged man” according to the same court filing, was so stressed by the threats that he experienced a “major heart attack.”
Months later, he attempted suicide, spent a month in a coma, and was unable to return to his job as a pharmacist. He died in 2012.
The Garland’s deaths were not attributed to Jackson or JIG personally. The company disputed the legal basis for rescinding the foreclosure sale and continued arguing it was entitled to the property.
The Georgia Supreme Court also did not discuss the Garland’s health allegations, the alleged confrontation, or the suicide attempt or death when it ultimately ruled against JIG, confirming that the sale had been properly rescinded.
The Daily Beast has reached out to Jackson’s campaign about the latest revelations, which could be sensitive for the GOP candidate, who has campaigned on his business acumen and vowed to tackle housing and affordability if he becomes Georgia’s next governor.
“We need a conservative business leader to shake things up, not another career politician just looking for money and power. Georgia needs someone who thinks of others first,” he recently said. The battle for Georgia is heating up on multiple fronts ahead of November’s midterm elections.
At the Senate level, Democratic firebrand Jon Ossoff—who recently made headlines by invoking the bizarre relationship between Trump and White House aide Natalie Harp—has stormed ahead of his embattled GOP rival, Mike Collins.
Collins has been plagued by scandals involving his staff and family. As Ossoff’s star continues to rise, some Republican leaders in Georgia are conceding the Senate race is already lost.
But the gubernatorial race between Jackson and former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is much tighter, with Jackson holding a narrow 48-45 lead and 7 percent of voters undecided.
This is not the first time the GOP candidate has faced scrutiny. The Daily Beast’s political newsletter, The Swamp, also revealed last week that Jackson fought against apartments being built next to his $11.5 million mega-mansion, complaining about “the type of people” who might live there.
It has also been reported that roughly $5 million in settlements were made involving companies in Jackson’s business empire over allegations concerning worker pay and the treatment of foreign-born nurses. And in June, a bombshell recording also captured him apparently agreeing that women should have to “prove” they were raped in order to qualify for an abortion, comments his campaign said were misconstrued.
Jackson’s campaign depicts him as “Action Jackson”: a “conservative outsider” who went from “foster care to billionaire” thanks to his business acumen.
Trump has also given his full endorsement—after backing his losing rival in the GOP primary earlier this year.
“Congratulations to Rick Jackson, who very successfully campaigned on being ‘TRUMP’, and won,” the president said after Jackson won his GOP primary run-off in June.
“He will be your next Governor of Georgia. Can’t wait!”
