Congress investigates group founded by Stacey Abrams

State Ethics Commission Executive Director David Emadi told his board Monday he has provided the full case file to the congressional committee. He also said he has shared evidence from the New Georgia Project case with the U.S. Justice Department.

In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Emadi said he met with Justice Department officials two to three years ago, though he does not know if the agency is investigating the New Georgia Project.

Representatives of the New Georgia Project and Abrams did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.

The revelations come as Republicans are ramping up scrutiny of Abrams and groups with ties to her.

The Georgia Senate is preparing to launch its own investigation of Abrams and the New Georgia Project. And the Trump administration recently attacked Abrams over a $2 billion federal grant for energy efficiency projects that she had little to do with.

Abrams grew to national prominence when she ran for governor against Republican Brian Kemp in 2018. Though she narrowly lost, voting rights groups that she founded were widely credited with aiding Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in Georgia in the 2020 presidential election.

Abrams founded the New Georgia Project in 2013 to register Black, Hispanic, Asian and young voters. She stepped away from the group before she ran for governor. But an ethics commission investigation found the group failed to disclose millions of dollars it raised and spent to aid Abram’s 2018 campaign.

In January, the group and an affiliate — the New Georgia Project Action Fund — admitted to 16 violations of state law. The $300,000 fine is the largest ever assessed for violating Georgia campaign finance laws.

That settled the ethics commission investigation. But the New Georgia Project’s troubles may be just beginning.

In his March 3 letter, U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, a Wisconsin Republican and chairman of the congressional committee, said the committee is investigating “a matter of great concern to American citizens: the integrity and fairness of our nation’s elections.”

Emadi told the ethics commission he expects to be subpoenaed to testify about the case before the congressional committee at some point.

Emadi also told the commission he met with the Justice Department’s Atlanta division to discuss possible “tax fraud” violations by the New Georgia Project. He said he provided an overview of the case and the evidence the commission investigation had gathered at that time. He did not elaborate on the evidence he shared or the specific crimes that might have been committed.

The Justice Department declined to comment Monday.

Meanwhile, other Republicans are attacking Abrams and the New Georgia Project. Fox News reported Monday that the Republican chair of another congressional committee is urging the Internal Revenue Service to revoke the New Georgia Project’s tax-exempt status.

And the Georgia Senate recently announced plans 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.

Abrams worked as an attorney for that nonprofit organization, which received the grant along with four other groups. Abrams’ spokesperson and the chief executive of one of the other groups have said she received none of the money from the grant.

Abrams and her defenders have said the Senate investigation is politically motivated. Abrams and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who presides over the Senate, are possible candidates for governor next year.

“Georgia Republicans are so terrified of the power of the people, they’re lashing out with unfounded attacks and baseless investigations that waste taxpayer dollars,” she said recently.

Staff writer Mark Niesse contributed to this report