A nonprofit voter advocacy group founded by high-profile Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams reportedly suffered dozens of layoffs two weeks after being slapped with a six-figure state ethics fine for campaign violations.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, dozens of workers at the New Georgia Project (NGP) have been laid off since Dec. 27, with more being pink-slipped at the end of January.
The group describes itself as a “nonpartisan effort to register, civically engage, and build power with the New Georgia Majority… the growing population of Black, brown, young and other historically marginalized voters.”
A GoFundMe for affected employees set up by NGP policy director Stephanie Ali described the layoffs and said those subject to the latest round had only three days’ notice.
The GoFundMe description said the NGP “has stated these reductions in force (RIFs) are due to economic downturns, reductions in fundraising in an ‘off’ election year, and other contributing factors.”
Last month, the state ethics commission found both the organization and its political action fund unlawfully performed work for Abrams’ 2018 gubernatorial bid while failing to report donations and expenditures. The Georgia State Ethics Commission fined the New Georgia Project $300,000 for failing to disclose millions of dollars the entity spent to aid her unsuccessful 2018 gubernatorial campaign. (RELATED: Stacey Abrams Group Fined $300K Over Campaign Violations)
Georgia Republican Rep. Buddy Carter told the Daily Caller News Foundation the record fine levied against the nonprofits by the state ethics commission does not go far enough and that the nonprofit status of both nonprofits should be rescinded.
“Non-profit status for New Georgia Project and its related Action Fund should be revoked, and everyone responsible for this blatant violation of federal law must be held accountable,” Carter told the DCNF. “It is disappointing that failed-candidate Stacey Abrams, who repeatedly spouted lies about her election being stolen, has yet again made a mockery of our free and fair system of elections. Georgians deserve better.”
Abrams founded the NGP in 2013 but told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that she left the group in 2017 when she decided to run against now-Gov. Brian Kemp.
“The setbacks at NGP are disappointing, and my thoughts are with those laid off,” she told the paper’s “Politically Georgia” vertical. “Regardless of [NGP’s] structure, I will never stop believing in the mission of ensuring every Georgian can make their voice heard.”
After Abrams’ departure, Ebenezer Baptist Church Rev. Raphael Warnock led the group until 2019.
Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R) slammed Abrams for using “activists in the mainstream media to try to pull the wool over Georgians’ eyes” in a statement to Fox News.
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