Stacey Abrams Files Lawsuit After Being Barred From Fundraising For Georgia Governor Campaign!
FEATURED PHOTO: FORMER GEOGIA LEGISLATURE MINORITY LEADER STACY ABRAMS
YourBlackWorld.net, By Victor Omondi, Posted March 31st 2022
Stacey Abrams filed a lawsuit claiming that Gov. Brian Kemp has already been able to utilize a new type of fundraising committee.
Because of a disagreement over whether she qualifies as a nominee before the primary, the state has refused to allow her leadership committee to begin fundraising. She has no primary opponents in the gubernatorial race.
Last year, the state legislature established leadership committees for the benefit of a select few, including the governor and major party nominees “selected in a primary election” in specific races.
These committees have a number of benefits, including being exempt from campaign financing restrictions.
Abrams’ case is based on a letter from Rep. Nikema Williams, the state Democratic Party Chair, recognizing her as the nominee.
Lauren Groh-Wargo, Abrams’ campaign manager, claimed in an affidavit that the disadvantage caused “severe harm.”
“Early fundraising supports later fundraising by demonstrating a candidate’s political viability and widespread appeal, particularly in a high-dollar statewide election in a swing state like Governor of Georgia,” she said.
The state Campaign Finance Commission’s executive director, David Emadi, told Axios that the commission does not decide who is a party’s nominee.
“Whether a candidate has been elected as a party’s nominee prior to any votes being cast or elections certified is a decision to be made by the secretary of state in consultation with the Department of Law,” he stated.
Due to existing litigation, the Attorney General’s office declined to comment.
Note that a judge has already ruled in favor of David Perdue, Kemp’s Republican competitor, on this statute after Perdue sued Kemp over it. The judge agreed with Perdue that it resulted in an uneven and unrestricted fundraising advantage.
Kemp had filed an ethics complaint against primary opponent and former Senator David Perdue, charging that Perdue’s campaign unlawfully cooperated with a political action group that sought money and phone numbers on his behalf. In terms of campaign financing law, that’s a no-no.
However, the judge only prohibited Kemp from utilizing the funds in his primary, not in the general election.
Abrams is an American politician, lawyer, voting rights activist, and author who served as minority leader in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017.