A nonprofit organization founded by Stacey Abrams, the New Georgia Project, has agreed to pay a $300,000 fine for violating campaign finance laws during the 2018 governor’s race in Georgia. The Georgia Ethics Commission found that the organization, along with its affiliated New Georgia Project Action Fund, did not disclose campaign contributions and spending as required by state law. The groups failed to register with the commission as an independent committee, despite engaging in activities like canvassing, social media engagement, and operating field offices to support Abrams’ candidacy. The commission’s executive director stated that the groups admitted to 16 violations of law, resulting in the largest fine in the commission’s history.
While Abrams has not been involved in the organization’s work since 2017, a spokesperson for her did not immediately comment on the fine. Attorneys for the groups signed a consent order acknowledging the $4.2 million in undisclosed contributions and $3.2 million in spending to support Abrams and other candidates during the 2018 election. The organization’s attorney expressed relief at putting the matter behind them to focus on civic engagement efforts.
The New Georgia Project, led by Raphael Warnock at the time, was accused of the violations in 2019, before Warnock became a Democratic senator for the state. A spokesperson for Warnock stated that compliance decisions were not part of his responsibilities while leading the organization. The groups expressed eagerness to move past the issue, emphasizing that the activities in question occurred more than five years ago.
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