Key Takeaways:

• The New Georgia Project and its affiliate were fined a record $300,000 by Georgia's Ethics Commission.
• Both organizations admitted to 16 violations of campaign finance laws in relation to Stacey Abrams' 2018 gubernatorial campaign.
• Over $4.2 million was raised and approximately $3.2 million was spent to support Abrams and other Democratic candidates.
• This investigation has been ongoing since 2019, reflecting on the challenges of oversight in Georgia's campaign finance landscape.
• As a response to the violations, these groups intend to increase transparency moving forward.

In a significant ruling on January 16, 2025, the Georgia Ethics Commission unanimously voted to impose a record $300,000 fine on the New Georgia Project and its affiliate, the New Georgia Project Action Fund, for violating campaign finance laws. These organizations were co-founded by Stacey Abrams and were led by now-Senator Raphael Warnock during the 2018 election period.

The commission found that these nonprofits had conducted substantial election work supporting Abrams and other candidates without properly registering as political committees, which led to serious violations of disclosure requirements. Specifically, they amassed over $4.2 million and spent $3.2 million to bolster Abrams’s and others’ campaigns in the 2018 election cycle. David Emadi, the ethics commission’s executive director, noted that this fine is the largest in the commission’s 38-year history, aimed at curbing the influence of undisclosed contributions on elections.

As a result of these findings, the New Georgia Project and its affiliate admitted to a total of 16 instances of illegal activity. Lawmakers had previously criticized the organization for failing to register and disclose nearly $646,000 in contributions during their campaigning efforts for a 2019 local ballot initiative that ultimately lost. Emadi expressed the importance of transparency in electoral processes and emphasized the necessity for organizations engaged in electioneering to adhere to state laws requiring financial disclosures.

A spokesperson for Warnock stated that he had no direct involvement in the compliance decisions as he was focused on advocacy for voting rights. The New Georgia Project was established in 2013 to enhance voter registration among young and minority populations in Georgia and received tax-deductible donations through its charitable arm, while the associated action fund was intended for direct candidate endorsements without donor disclosures.

This case has traveled through various levels of scrutiny, including multiple court challenges since 2019, reflecting a prolonged investigation into alleged coordination between the New Georgia Project and Abrams' campaign. Despite the unethical actions identified, the commission did not link any direct illegal coordination between these groups and Abrams' campaign, leaving open the possibility for continued investigations into related complaints. As the organization steps forward, there is an acknowledged need for increased transparency to restore public trust and focus on voter engagement initiatives.

For further details, read more at The Guardian and NPR.