Two voting rights organizations established by Stacey Abrams, the former Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Georgia, have been handed a record-breaking $300,000 fine by the Georgia Ethics Commission. This penalty stems from violations of campaign finance regulations during Abrams' 2018 election campaign.

The Georgia State Ethics Commission announced the consent agreement with the New Georgia Project and its fundraising arm, the New Georgia Project Action Fund, on Wednesday. The commission emphasized the magnitude of the fine, calling it the largest in its history and potentially the largest ever imposed by a state ethics commission nationwide in an election and campaign finance case.

Abrams founded the New Georgia Project in 2013 to increase voter registration among minority and young people. Structured as a charitable organization eligible for tax-deductible donations, the New Georgia Project Action Fund served as its fundraising counterpart.

According to the commission’s consent order, the organizations admitted to neglecting to report approximately $4.2 million in contributions and $3.2 million in expenditures connected to Abrams' 2018 campaign. They faced 16 violations, including failing to register as a political committee and not disclosing substantial financial contributions.

Similar violations were alleged in 2019, with the groups accused of failing to disclose $646,000 in contributions and $174,000 in expenditures while supporting a ballot initiative.

The ethics commission stressed the significance of the case, asserting it was the largest instance of unlawful influence on Georgia elections they had uncovered. They aimed to send a strong message about accountability for future violations.

Abrams resigned from the New Georgia Project in 2017, and Senator Raphael Warnock subsequently served as its CEO from 2017 to 2019. A spokesperson for Warnock's Senate office stated that his involvement was focused on voting rights advocacy and that he was unaware of any campaign finance violations. Compliance decisions were not within his purview.

Abrams, who ran unsuccessfully for Georgia governor in both 2018 and 2022 against Republican Brian Kemp, gained national attention for refusing to concede the 2018 election despite a 60,000-vote loss. During that campaign, she actively promoted the New Georgia Project on social media.

The New Georgia Project expressed relief at putting the matter behind them and emphasized their commitment to voter registration efforts in Georgia. They acknowledged their disappointment with a court decision overturning a ruling on the constitutionality of the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Act but accepted the outcome and looked forward to focusing on future endeavors.