by David Wickert and Greg Bluestein at AJC Politics
The Georgia Senate plans to investigate prominent Democrat Stacey Abrams and a voting rights group she founded after the organization acknowledged it illegally aided her 2018 campaign for governor.
In January the New Georgia Project agreed to pay a whopping $300,000 fine and admitted to 16 violations of campaign finance laws. Now, a resolution introduced in the state Senate would authorize the Senate Special Committee on Investigations to delve into the relationship between Abrams and the nonprofit.
It’s the same Senate panel that has investigated Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ handling of the criminal case against President Donald Trump and others involved in trying to overturn the 2020 election.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks during a press interview at the district attorney’s office in Atlanta on Friday, July 12, 2024. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)
Senate Resolution 292, introduced by Senate GOP leaders, directs the panel to investigate the New Georgia Project’s involvement with Abrams’ campaign, as well as a $2 billion federal grant to another group with Abrams ties, Power Forward Communities.
The investigation amounts to a full-frontal attack on Abrams, a two-time candidate for governor who has not ruled out a third run for the office. It comes from a legislative body led by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — himself a likely candidate for governor next year.
“The people of Georgia were defrauded by Stacey Abrams. She’s now been forced to admit it and tried to get it to go away,” Jones said in a statement Friday.
“But Georgians want real accountability,” Jones said. “With these subpoena powers,…