Stacey Abrams-Founded Nonprofit Slapped With Six-Figure Fine

A nonprofit organization founded by Stacey Abrams, a two-time failed Democratic candidate for governor of Georgia, has agreed to pay a $300,000 fine for violating campaign finance laws.

The fine relates to the organization’s spending in support of Abrams’ candidacy during the 2018 governor’s race, NBC News reports.

According to WSB-TV, it’s the biggest fine in state ethics commission history.

Stacey Abrams’ nonprofit hit with largest fine in state history for illegally using funds to support her 2018 bid for governor https://t.co/YGyBodgtEb pic.twitter.com/NuSGH8zZZF

— New York Post (@nypost) January 15, 2025

WSB-TV reports:

Abrams was not officially part of the New Georgia Project when these 16 violations happened in 2018 and 2019, but the violations occurred as the organization campaigned for her run for governor.

The State Ethics Commission gave the organization a record $300,000 fine.

After years of legal battles and denying it did anything wrong, the group admitted on Wednesday that it violated 16 campaign finance laws during Abrams’ 2018 gubernatorial campaign.

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State Ethics Commission Director David Emadi showed documents that he says proves the New Georgia Project failed to report $4.2 million in campaign contributions and $3.2 million in expenditures.

Emadi said Abrams’ potential involvement is still under investigation.

Abrams founded the project in 2013.

“We are glad to finally put this matter behind us,” the organization said in a statement, according to WSB-TV.

“We accept this outcome and are eager to turn the page on activities that took place more than five years ago,” it added.

BREAKING: Nonprofit founded by former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams will pay a record $300,000 fine for violating state campaign finance laws. pic.twitter.com/GLxgdC3PzB

— Leading Report (@LeadingReport) January 16, 2025

Per NBC News:

A spokesperson for Abrams did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday. A spokesperson told The New York Times that Abrams “hasn’t been involved in the organization’s work since she departed in 2017.”

Aria Branch, an attorney for the groups, said they are “glad to finally put this matter behind us” to engage in their work building civic engagement.

“While we remain disappointed that the federal court ruling on the constitutionality of the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act was overturned on entirely procedural grounds, we accept this outcome and are eager to turn the page on activities that took place more than five years ago,” Branch said.

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The New Georgia Project at the time was led by Raphael Warnock, who went on to become a Democratic senator for the state. The groups were first accused of wrongdoing in a complaint in 2019, before Warnock was elected.

Michael J. Brewer, a Warnock spokesperson, said in a statement that during his leadership of the New Georgia Project in 2018, “compliance decisions were not a part of that work.”

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at 100 Percent Fed Up.

View the original article here.