Stacey Abrams’ Nonprofit Payments Raise Eyebrows
Stacey Abrams, a former Democratic gubernatorial candidate, has seen her nonprofit organization make significant payments, reportedly exceeding $20 million, to a law firm owned by her close friend. This revelation adds to questions surrounding her financial practices, as outlined in her tax returns.
Abrams’ voting rights group, Fairfight Action, disbursed around $20 million from 2019 to 2023 to the firm of Alle Gra Laurence Hardy. Hardy, who was also chair of Abrams’ campaign, had worked at that firm until her departure in February. A document tied to Fairfight Action emphasizes that the organization should not financially benefit any individual, though it accepted payments for ambiguous “legal services” amounting to $20,201,857.
Attempts to get comments from Abrams’ team and Hardy went unanswered. Meanwhile, the firm’s connections to Abrams are raising some eyebrows, particularly given that these dealings come amid ongoing scrutiny of her financial dealings. The Daily Caller News Foundation reviewed the tax declarations relevant to this situation.
Hardy, who spoke to Politico in 2022, noted her long friendship with Abrams, dating back to their college days, and acknowledged their close ties while working together in a law firm in Atlanta. Furthermore, Hardy led Abrams’ gubernatorial campaigns that did not succeed in 2018 and 2022. Abrams has often claimed that systemic voter suppression in Georgia played a role in her election loss in 2018.
Abrams’ nonprofit efforts have not been without controversy. Her organization previously filed a lawsuit in 2018 against the state of Georgia, alleging that the electoral system was racially biased. However, judges later deemed the allegations unfounded, leading to case closures by 2022. This legal battle contributed to escalating costs, and by 2024, Fairfight Action was reportedly burdened with $2.5 million in debt, resulting in job cuts.
Apart from Fairfight Action, Abrams leads multiple nonprofits that have faced accusations of questionable financial activities. For example, her voter registration organization, Third Sector Development, has encountered several tax liens in Georgia. Moreover, another group she founded, the New Georgia Project, was fined $300,000 for not disclosing campaign expenses, even prompting an IRS complaint in 2019 that accused it of improperly promoting Abrams’ political aspirations under the guise of advocating for voting rights.
Additionally, the Biden administration has been criticized for allocating billions in taxpayer money to various groups that are associated with Abrams. As for her political future, reports surfaced in April suggesting that Abrams is considering a potential third run for governor.
