Georgia Government or State Ethics Commission announcements

New Georgia Project, Led by Raphael Warnock, Fined $300,000 for Campaign Violations, Largest Penalty in Georgia

Jan 15, 2025, 06:02 PM

The New Georgia Project, a voting rights group founded by Stacey Abrams, has agreed to pay a $300,000 fine for violating Georgia campaign finance laws during her 2018 gubernatorial campaign. The group, which was led by Raphael Warnock at the time, admitted to spending $3.2 million to support Abrams' campaign without proper disclosure, as well as spending over $600,000 on a local ballot initiative in 2019. The violations included failing to register as a political committee and not disclosing approximately $4.2 million in contributions to Abrams' campaign. The fine represents the largest penalty for campaign violations in Georgia's history, surpassing the previous record of $80,000. The New Georgia Project and its affiliated action fund admitted to a total of 16 violations of state campaign finance laws.