A scandal has erupted surrounding a nonprofit organization founded by Stacey Abrams, a well-known political figure and perennial candidate. The New Georgia Project, along with its fundraising arm, the New Georgia Project Action Fund, has been found guilty of violating state law by illegally spending millions of dollars to support Abrams’ gubernatorial bid in 2018. As a result, the organization has agreed to settle a complaint with the Georgia Ethics Commission and pay a hefty fine of $300,000 to the state.
The consent order, which was recently made public, revealed that the New Georgia Project failed to disclose approximately $4.2 million in contributions and $3.2 million in expenditures that were used to bolster Abrams during the 2018 primary and general election. The order outlined 16 specific violations of state law, including the group’s failure to register as a political committee, failure to file required disclosure reports, and failure to disclose significant political contributions and expenditures.
Furthermore, the New Georgia Project was also found to have violated state law by advocating for a ballot initiative in 2019 that aimed to expand public transportation. This violation included over $600,000 in contributions and $173,000 in expenditures.
David Emadi, the executive director of Georgia’s ethics commission, emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stating that the $300,000 fine is the largest ever imposed by the commission and possibly the largest in a campaign finance case by any state ethics board. Emadi stressed the importance of holding organizations accountable for illegally influencing statewide elections.
David Fox, the representative for the New Georgia Project, described the agreement as a “reasonable resolution” for past transgressions and expressed the organization’s eagerness to move forward. During the ethics commission’s meeting, evidence was presented showing the group’s efforts to support Abrams through various means such as social media posts, canvassing, and phone banking.
The agreement marks the conclusion of a lengthy investigation into the New Georgia Project’s activities dating back to 2019, which involved multiple court battles. The group’s bank records were subpoenaed by the ethics commission, and the complaint was revised in 2022 following a court ruling granting access to the statements.
In a separate case, the New Georgia Project attempted to halt the ethics board’s probe, but a ruling by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in July 2024 allowed the investigation to proceed. A 2023 investigation by POLITICO also revealed financial discrepancies involving the organization’s former executive director, Nsé Ufot.
Stacey Abrams founded the New Georgia Project in 2014, with Georgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock serving as the organization’s chair for over two years. Despite the controversy surrounding the organization, Abrams has not yet commented on the matter.
