Here’s a familiar story you’ve heard before—Democrats bending the rules to advance their political ambitions, all while hoping no one notices. But this time, they’ve been caught red-handed. Stacey Abrams, the two time failed Democratic candidate for Georgia governor and the so-called champion of voter registration, is at the center of a scandal involving two organizations accused of grossly violating federal law.
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), an ethics watchdog that monitors government corruption, has filed a formal complaint with the IRS, exposing what it calls a blatant misuse of nonprofit status by the New Georgia Project (NGP) and its lobbying arm, the New Georgia Project Action Fund (NGPAF)—both of which were initially launched by Abrams.
Now, let’s be clear about what these nonprofits are supposed to be. NGP, a 501(c)(3), enjoys tax-exempt privileges, but those privileges come with a serious responsibility: staying completely out of partisan politics.
As the IRS states, these organizations are “absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign.” The NGPAF, classified as a 501(c)(4), can engage in some advocacy, but it still can’t make political campaigning its primary purpose. Simple rules, right? Not for the Democrats.
A Pattern of Political Misconduct
Abrams founded NGP in 2013 while serving in the Georgia House of Representatives, claiming it was all about registering new voters and promoting civic engagement. She left the organization in 2017, handing it over to none other than Raphael Warnock, who conveniently departed when he was elected to the Senate. If this sounds like a revolving door of political opportunism, that’s because it is.
Kendra Arnold, FACT’s executive director, laid out the issue clearly:
“Federal law is very clear and strict in that when an organization receives the benefits of nonprofit status, those running it are absolutely prohibited from using it as a political campaign organization. This is a straightforward case because the nonprofits admitted to raising and spending millions of dollars for campaigns.”
FACT’s complaint specifically points to a recent case before the Georgia State Ethics Commission, which revealed that NGP and NGPAF were heavily involved in promoting Abrams’ 2018 gubernatorial campaign—along with other failed Georgia Democratic candidates like Cobb’s Sarah Riggs-Amico, John Barrow, and Charlie Bailey.
Here’s some of what the complaint uncovered:
- The organizations spent millions on activities directly aimed at electing Democratic candidates.
- They organized field offices with paid staff to carry out canvassing efforts.
- They distributed campaign literature and engaged in targeted social media operations designed to sway voters.
Does that sound like “promoting social welfare,” as a 501(c)(4) is supposed to do? Or does it sound like a shadow campaign effort disguised under the cover of nonprofit status?
Violations Confirmed: Millions in Hidden Campaign Spending
The Georgia State Ethics Commission wasn’t fooled by this charade. They found that NGP and NGPAF had violated multiple state laws. How bad was it? They failed to disclose more than $4 million in campaign contributions and another $3 million in expenditures during the 2018 election. In any normal situation, most people would call that money laundering.
Watch the Full Georgia State Ethics Board Hearing on YouTube
Faced with undeniable evidence, the organizations admitted to their violations and agreed to pay a $300,000 fine. A slap on the wrist, really, considering the scale of the operation. But the fallout didn’t end there—dozens of staff members were laid off, as Fox 5 News reported, after the scandal came to light.
Will the IRS Finally Take Action?
Now FACT is pushing for the IRS to do what it should have done long ago—investigate these organizations and strip them of their tax-exempt status. In its complaint, FACT made the stakes clear:
“The illegal nature of this extensive activity also demonstrates that New Georgia Project Action Fund’s primary purpose was political activity. As established in the State Ethics case, the groups are not acting in accordance with federal law and we respectfully request the IRS investigate this matter fully and, if appropriate, revoke the organizations’ status as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) and (4) organizations and impose financial penalties.”
If the IRS does its job, it could mean not only financial penalties but also the dismantling of a key cog in Georgia democrats’ political machine.
A Larger Trend of Democratic Misconduct
This isn’t just about Stacey Abrams or Georgia—it’s about how Democrats routinely exploit nonprofit loopholes for political gain. They create organizations under the guise of “civic engagement” or “social welfare,” then quietly funnel money and resources into campaign efforts. When caught, they play dumb or claim it was an oversight. Sound familiar? We’ve seen it before with groups tied to big names like Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
But let’s not forget the bigger picture here: government agencies, like U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), have now been exposed for funneling taxpayer dollars to NGOs under the guise of foreign aid or community development, only for that money to fuel political agendas both at home and abroad.
While it’s not been reported at this time that The New Georgia Project or The New Georgia Project Fund received funding directly from USAID or its affiliates. Thanks to President Trump’s efforts for government transparency and Elon Musk’s recent revelations through the Office of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), we now see how the general misuse of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) isn’t limited to local operations, it’s part of a much larger system of reckless spending and backdoor funding. From overseas influence campaigns to domestic election efforts, Democrats have perfected the art of laundering taxpayer money through so-called nonprofit organizations.
The bottom line: This isn’t just financial misconduct—it’s an abuse of public trust. And hopefully agencies like the IRS are willing to investigate and hold these groups accountable under President Trump’s leadership.
