ATLANTA — A voting rights organization founded by Stacey Abrams was hit with the biggest find in state ethics commission history after admitting to violating Georgia campaign finance laws.
Channel 2′s Richard Elliot was at the State Capitol on Wednesday for the end of six years of legal battles.
Abrams was not officially part of the New Georgia Project when these 16 violations happened in 2018 and 2019, but the violations occurred as the organization campaigned for her run for governor.
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The State Ethics Commission gave the organization a record $300,000 fine.
After years of legal battles and denying it did anything wrong, the group admitted on Wednesday that it violated 16 campaign finance laws during Abrams’ 2018 gubernatorial campaign.
State Ethics Commission Director David Emadi showed documents that he says proves the New Georgia Project failed to report $4.2 million in campaign contributions and $3.2 million in expenditures.
In a statement, the project said in part “We are glad to finally put this matter behind us...we accept this outcome and are eager to turn the page on activities that took place more than five years ago.”
Abrams founded the project in 2013 but left before the violations occurred, but Emadi said her potential involvement is still under investigation.
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Governor Brian Kemp’s former Press Secretary Cody Hall said they feel vindicated by the outcome.
“Remember, that’s the one they called a fishing expedition, and, today, they say it’s all true,” Hall said.
The Republican-controlled board faced harsh criticism, but Emadi said their politics didn’t enter into the decision.
“I don’t care if you are a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian or Green Party, if people are breaking the law and illegally influencing an election, particularly to the extent they did, that should upset you and should want to see something done about it,” Emadi said.
Elliot reached out to Abrams for comment, but has not heard back.
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