The New Georgia Project has settled its case with the Georgia Ethics Commission and agreed to pay a $300,000 fine. Stacey Abrams, the 2018 Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, founded the nonprofit.
According to the consent order, the New Georgia Project and its affiliated New Georgia Action Fund violated the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act by failing to disclose $4.2 million in funds raised and $3.2 million in spending to support Abrams and other candidates during the 2018 election cycle.
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The consent order also states that the commission found probable cause that the group failed to disclose $646,422.89 in contributions and just over $173,643 in spending related to the 2019 Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority referendum in Gwinnett County.
The commission determined that the New Georgia Project failed to register as an independent political committee before accepting the contributions and spending them to influence the governor’s election.
According to the Associated Press, David Fox, a lawyer for the entities, said his clients “understand and respect the commission’s positions on the facts and the law.” The groups’ new leaders agreed to the penalty on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
The director of the Georgia Ethics Commission said that the $300,000 fine is the largest ever imposed by the commission.
Abrams stepped down from the groups in 2017, and Raphael Warnock became the New Georgia Project’s CEO until 2019. Georgia voters elected Warnock to the U.S. Senate in a special election in 2021.
THE NEW GEORGIA PROJECT, A NON-PROFIT FOUNDED BY 2018 GEORGIA DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE STACEY ABRAMS, SETTLED IT’S CASE WITH THE GEORGIA ETHICS COMMISSION TO PAY A $300,000 FINE.
ACCORDING TO THE CONSENT ORDER, THE NEW GEORGIA PROJECT AND IT’S AFFILIATED NEW GEORGIA ACTION FUND VIOLATED THE GEORGIA GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE ACT BY FAILING TO DISCLOSE $4.2 MILLION IN RAISED FUNDS AND $3.2 MILLION IN SPENDING TO SUPPORT ABRAMS AND OTHER CANDIDATES IN THE 2018 ELECTION CYCLE.
THE CONSENT ORDER ALSO STATES THE COMMISSION FOUND PROBABLE CAUSE THAT THE GROUP FAILED TO DISCLOSE $646,422.89 IN CONTRIBUTIONS AND JUST OVER $173,643.00 IN SPENDING RELATED TO THE 2019 METROPOLITAN ATLANTA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY REFERENDUM IN GWINNETT COUNTY.
THE ETHICS COMMITTEE DECIDED THE NEW GEORGIA PROJECT FAILED TO REGISTER AS AN INDEPENDENT POLITICAL COMMITTEE PRIOR TO ACCEPTING THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND SPENDING THEM ON INFLUENCING THE ELECTION FOR GOVERNOR.
DAVID FOX, A LAWYER FOR THE ENTITIES SAID HIS CLIENTS “UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT THE COMMISSION’S POSITIONS ON THE FACTS AND THE LAW,” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS.
THE GROUPS’ NEW LEADERS AGREED TO THE PENALTY WEDNESDAY.
ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTOR OF GEORGIA’S ETHICS COMMISSION, THE $300,000 FINE IS THE LARGEST EVER IMPOSED BY THE COMMISSION.
ABRAMS STEPPED DOWN FROM THE GROUPS IN 2017 AND RAPHAEL WARNOCK BECAME THE NEW GEORGIA PROJECT’S CEO UNTIL 2019.
GEORGIA VOTERS ELECTED WARNOCK TO THE U.S. SENATE IN A SPECIAL ELECTION IN 2021.
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