The Georgia Ethics Commission has taken decisive action against two advocacy groups, the New Georgia Project and the New Georgia Project Action Fund, by levying a historic $300,000 fine for illegal campaign activities. These groups were initially established by Stacey Abrams, a prominent figure in Georgia’s political landscape, who stated she had no involvement with the organizations after stepping down in 2017. Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock, a crucial ally of Abrams, was previously listed as the CEO of the New Georgia Project in documents from 2017 to 2019.
The Commission’s investigation revealed that these organizations had engaged in electioneering without properly disclosing campaign contributions and expenditures. Specifically, they were found to have raised $4.2 million and spent $3.2 million to support Abrams and other candidates in Georgia’s 2018 election cycle. The failure to register as an independent campaign committee and disclose financial activities is at the heart of these violations. This lack of transparency occurred even as Abrams narrowly lost the 2018 gubernatorial race to Republican Brian Kemp.
In 2019, the groups continued to breach election laws by conducting a campaign to promote public transit expansion in Gwinnett County, spending significant sums without disclosing their financial activities. Despite their efforts, the public transit referendum was unsuccessful. Warnock, while not directly involved in compliance decisions, has maintained his commitment to voting rights advocacy.
The Commission’s ruling was based on comprehensive investigations that included obtaining emails to establish the groups’ inappropriate coordination with Abrams’ 2018 campaign. A spokesperson for Warnock emphasized that his role was purely advocacy-focused, and compliance issues were outside his responsibilities. Meanwhile, representatives for the New Georgia Project argued that the charges were politically motivated, pointing to the Commission’s partisan influences.
Further scrutiny highlights a previous incident where Gente4Abrams was fined $50,000 for similar campaign violations in 2020, thus underscoring a pattern of recurrent issues with campaign finance compliance among groups supporting Abrams. This matter was less publicly discussed in Abrams’ subsequent 2022 gubernatorial campaign, where she again faced Kemp, but with a larger margin of defeat.
These findings mark a significant stance by the Georgia Ethics Commission against non-transparent campaign activities, perhaps signaling a stricter enforcement environment for election-related finances in the state going forward.
The Georgia Ethics Commission’s ruling underscores the importance of compliance with campaign finance laws, highlighting the potential consequences of oversight in political advocacy groups. As these organizations face penalties, the case serves as a reminder of the essential role transparency plays in maintaining electoral integrity.
