March 28, 2025 Story by: Editor
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s Republican-led state Senate is advancing an investigation into Stacey Abrams, a move that aligns with former President Donald Trump’s ongoing criticism of the two-time Democratic gubernatorial nominee.
Republican State Sen. Bill Cowsert of Athens stated Thursday that the inquiry aims to examine recent ethics findings, which suggest that voter participation group New Georgia Project improperly coordinated with Abrams’ 2018 gubernatorial campaign.
“We have developed somewhat of a problem these days with dark money in politics, with secret money being used to fund campaigns,” Cowsert said. “The whole purpose of our campaign finance laws is to put sunshine on the issues.”
Additionally, senators plan to investigate claims made by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin regarding $2 billion allegedly misallocated to a coalition of organizations working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Abrams was involved with one of these groups until the end of last year. However, Trump and other Republicans have singled out Abrams in their broader criticism of $20 billion in grants awarded during President Joe Biden’s administration. Trump recently highlighted Abrams in a joint address to Congress.
The Georgia Senate approved the investigation with a 33-21 vote along party lines.
Ongoing Investigations into High-Profile Democrats
The same Senate committee has been conducting an investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, another Trump critic. However, the inquiry has yet to produce significant findings.
“We have already spent precious time investigating people for headlines and clicks, while providing taxpayers with little benefit,” said State Sen. Jason Esteves, an Atlanta Democrat.
Abrams has dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated attack, arguing that Republicans are targeting her due to her effectiveness as a political leader.
After nearly defeating Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in 2018, Abrams used her platform to advocate for voting rights, gaining national recognition. She was even considered as a potential running mate for Biden in 2020 but lost her 2022 rematch against Kemp by a larger margin.
The resolution allows the GOP-controlled Senate Investigatory Committee to hold hearings scrutinizing Abrams, even as Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and several committee members weigh potential 2026 election bids.
Subpoena Power and Ethical Violations
Armed with subpoena power, the committee has attempted to force Willis to testify about her handling of Trump’s legal case. However, so far, little new information has emerged, aside from details about Willis’ hiring of special prosecutor Nathan Wade, with whom she had a personal relationship.
The New Georgia Project, founded by Abrams in 2013 to boost voter registration among nonwhite and young voters, has also come under scrutiny. Although Abrams stepped down from the organization in 2017, she has denied any involvement in its activities since.
In January, the New Georgia Project and its affiliated New Georgia Project Action Fund admitted to violating Georgia’s campaign finance laws, failing to register as an independent campaign committee, and failing to disclose contributions and expenditures. The Georgia Ethics Commission imposed a record $300,000 fine—the largest in state history—primarily for violations benefiting Abrams’ 2018 gubernatorial campaign.
Amid internal turmoil, the New Georgia Project has laid off employees, some of whom allege they were dismissed for attempting to unionize.
Abrams and the Climate Funding Controversy
On Feb. 12, Trump-appointed EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin demanded the return of $2 billion allocated in April 2024 to Power Forward Communities, part of a broader $20 billion grant program under the Biden administration.
Abrams previously served as senior counsel for Rewiring America, one of the organizations within the Power Forward Communities coalition, until December. However, Joshua Karp, a spokesperson for Abrams, emphasized that she was never paid by Power Forward Communities.
One of the nonprofits that received $7 billion from the $20 billion program has since sued the EPA, alleging that it improperly froze a legally awarded grant. In a related case, the Coalition for Green Capital, which secured $5 billion from the Biden-era Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, has filed a lawsuit against Citibank, accusing it of breach of contract for withholding grant funds.
Source: AP News
