Georgia Ethics Commission is still investigating 2018 ties between Stacey Abrams and voter group

Georgia Ethics Commission Continues Probe into Stacey Abrams’ Voter Group Seven Years After Election

The Georgia Ethics Commission is still investigating whether a voter advocacy group founded by Democrat Stacey Abrams illegally coordinated with her unsuccessful 2018 gubernatorial campaign, the agency’s executive director told state lawmakers Thursday.

David Emadi, appearing before a state Senate committee, confirmed that questions about potential illegal coordination remain under active investigation, despite the passage of more than seven years since the election in question.

“I can say that is something that has been and is being investigated,” Emadi said. “At previous hearings we presented evidence, and some of that evidence certainly gave credence to that question of whether or not coordination occurred.”

The New Georgia Project, founded by Abrams in 2013, admitted last year to illegal activity related to raising and spending money to influence both the 2018 election and a 2019 transit referendum in Gwinnett County. The organization, which has since dissolved, paid a $300,000 fine—the largest ethics fine in state history—for failing to register as an independent campaign committee and disclose its donors and expenditures as required by state law.

Despite these admissions, the New Georgia Project and Abrams have consistently denied allegations of illegal coordination between the advocacy group and her campaign. Emadi acknowledged that evidence of contacts between the organization and Abrams’ campaign has been limited.

The ongoing investigation comes amid heightened political tensions in Georgia. In March, Republican state senators voted to establish an investigatory committee to further examine the New Georgia Project’s actions. The committee is also probing claims that $2 billion was improperly allocated to a coalition of environmental groups working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—a coalition that included an organization Abrams worked with until late last year.

Critics note that the timing of these investigations coincides with several Republican committee members’ campaigns for higher office. Committee Chairman Bill Cowsert is running for state attorney general, while Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is campaigning for governor, and four other Republicans on the committee are seeking the lieutenant governor position.

Abrams, who resigned from the New Georgia Project in 2017 before her first gubernatorial run, has characterized the investigations as politically motivated attacks on her effectiveness as a Democratic leader. After narrowly losing to Republican Brian Kemp in 2018, Abrams transformed her focus on voting rights into a national platform, even being considered as a potential running mate for Joe Biden in 2020. Her 2022 rematch against Kemp resulted in a more decisive defeat.

During the hearing, Emadi highlighted challenges the Ethics Commission faces in investigating coordination violations, noting that the agency cannot question individuals under oath until after establishing probable cause that laws were broken. He suggested that lawmakers consider granting the commission authority to administer oaths earlier in investigations and codify certain commission rules into law to prevent court challenges.

The conversation also turned to potential penalties for campaign finance violations. Some Ethics Commission board members have proposed that individuals face criminal penalties or personal fines for knowingly breaking campaign finance laws. Currently, campaigns can be fined, and individuals can be ordered to repay improperly used campaign funds, but personal liability is limited.

Senator Cowsert expressed support for strengthening consequences, stating he wants to see “personal accountability” for intentional lawbreakers, potentially including fines or even prison time.

As the investigation continues, it remains a focal point in Georgia’s politically charged atmosphere, with implications for both campaign finance enforcement and the state’s partisan landscape ahead of upcoming elections.