by Paul Sperry at RealClear Investigations
A nonprofit founded by Georgia Democratic politician Stacey Abrams to protect voting rights paid more than $20 million to a lawyer who is a close friend and helped set up two of her private businesses, according to tax and state incorporation filings and other records obtained by RealClearInvestigations.
Abrams’ Fair Fight Action redirected the tax-exempt donations and government grants to Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, her former campaign chair between 2019 and 2023. Most of the funds covered legal expenses charged by the boutique law firm Lawrence-Hardy co-founded, for a failed race-bias lawsuit filed against Abram’s Republican opponent, Gov. Brian Kemp, after she lost to him in Georgia’s 2018 gubernatorial election.
In its articles of incorporation, Fair Fight Action Inc. states that “The Corporation will not be operated for the pecuniary gain or profit of any individual.” They also said no revenues will be “distributed” to any individual except when “authorized to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered.”
The nonprofit’s payout to her friend’s law firm, which averaged more than $4 million each year over those five years, raised eyebrows and conflict-of-interest concerns among ethics watchdogs briefed by RCI.
“Twenty million in fees is outrageous,” said Paul Kamenar, counsel for the National Legal and Policy Center. “It may be an IRS violation for waste of nonprofit assets, as well as self-dealing and other ethical and legal breaches.”
“At a minimum hiring her friend as lead attorney presents…
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