Stacey Abrams, the two-time failed Democratic candidate for governor of Georgia, is back in the spotlight—but not for another campaign. The nonprofit organization she founded, the New Georgia Project, has been slapped with a massive $300,000 fine for violating state election laws, the largest penalty ever handed down by Georgia’s ethics commission in its 38-year history.
According to David Emadi, executive director of the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission, the fine stems from 16 separate violations related to illegal election activities designed to bolster Abrams’ failed 2022 campaign against Governor Brian Kemp. The New Georgia Project, created by Abrams in 2013, was supposed to focus on voter registration and civic engagement. Instead, it morphed into a political machine funneling resources to directly support Abrams’ campaign.
Investigators found that the group failed to register as an independent campaign committee and made illegal in-kind contributions to Abrams, including payments for canvassers and printing campaign materials. This clear misuse of nonprofit funds was an attempt to skirt Georgia’s election laws and give Abrams an unfair advantage in her rematch against Kemp.
Despite raising $3.2 million after Abrams’ first failed run in 2018, the New Georgia Project’s leadership brushed off the violations as routine. In a statement, their attorney Aria Branch said, “We accept this outcome and are eager to turn the page on activities that took place more than five years ago.” Translation: We got caught, paid the fine, and now we’d like you to forget about it.
But this isn’t an isolated incident. Another group, Gente for Abrams, was fined $50,000 in 2020 for failing to disclose its pro-Abrams campaign activities. Clearly, this is a pattern of misconduct.
Adding another layer of controversy, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) was involved with the New Georgia Project during the time of these violations. While his spokesperson denies he had any role in financial decisions, the connection raises serious questions about how deep this web of political favoritism and corruption goes.
Let’s not forget, Abrams still refuses to concede her 2018 loss, pushing debunked claims of voter suppression while criticizing Republicans for questioning election outcomes. Yet here we are, with her own organization caught red-handed trying to manipulate elections.
Despite these scandals, Abrams hasn’t ruled out another run for governor in 2026. But with this massive fine hanging over her legacy, voters should be asking: Can Georgia afford another round of Stacey Abrams’ political games?
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