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Historic Fine for Stacey Abrams' New Georgia Project Over Campaign Violations

share-iconThursday, January 16 comment-icon6 days ago 6 views
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Historic Fine for Stacey Abrams' New Georgia Project Over Campaign Violations

Credited from: THEGUARDIAN

  • The New Georgia Project has been fined $300,000, the largest violation fine in Georgia history.
  • The group was found to have illegally campaigned for Stacey Abrams during the 2018 gubernatorial election.
  • The organization admitted to 16 violations of state campaign finance laws.
  • The fine concludes a lengthy investigation into its financial practices dating back to 2018.
  • The organization aims to refocus on its mission to engage and register voters of color in Georgia.

The New Georgia Project, a prominent voting rights group founded by Stacey Abrams, has been penalized with a historic fine of $300,000 by Georgia's ethics commission. This penalty arises from the group's unauthorized campaigning activities linked to Abrams' 2018 gubernatorial run, marking the largest campaign violation fine ever imposed in the state of Georgia, as reported by Newsweek and The Guardian.

The consent order comes after an extended investigation that revealed the New Georgia Project had illegally raised and spent significant funds intended to bolster Abrams' campaign without proper registration or financial disclosure. Specifically, the group is said to have failed to disclose approximately $4.2 million in contributions to Abrams and spent $3.2 million supporting her and other Democratic candidates during the contentious 2018 election cycle. Furthermore, evidence indicated that the organization engaged in active campaigning through scripts, canvassing, and directing contributions via social media links to Democratic fundraising platforms like ActBlue.

Dave Emadi, the executive secretary of the ethics commission, emphasized that “If an organization is electioneering in Georgia as an independent committee, they have to register with the commission,” underscoring the necessity of transparency in campaign financing practices. The commission found that the New Georgia Project and its associated Super PAC, the New Georgia Project Action Fund, were not sufficiently independent in their operations.

Abrams founded the New Georgia Project in 2013 to enhance voter registration and civic empowerment among communities of color in Georgia. While she stepped away from the organization to pursue her gubernatorial ambitions in 2017, the grassroots initiative gained prominence for its role in the 2018 election and significantly contributed to Joe Biden's victory in Georgia during the 2020 presidential election.

Amidst the controversy, Aria Branch, legal counsel for the New Georgia Project, expressed relief at having resolved the issue. She stated, “We are glad to finally put this matter behind us so the New Georgia Project can fully devote its time and attention to its efforts to civically engage and register Black, brown, and young voters in Georgia.” Abrams, who has consistently maintained that the investigation was politically motivated, did not provide immediate comments regarding the settlement.

This final determination follows more than three years fraught with appeals and allegations about the organization's spending practices. Historically, Georgia’s political environment has shown a level of indifference towards ethics complaints, which highlights a complex landscape for political campaigns in the state. Given that previous campaign ethics violators were subjected only to minimal fines, this significant penalty serves as a clear signal from the ethics commission about the seriousness with which they are now treating violations.

For more detailed information, you can read the full reports from Newsweek and The Guardian.

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