Stacey Abrams’ voter rights nonprofit funneled over $20 million to her close friend’s law firm while accumulating millions in debt and laying off staff, raising serious questions about potential self-dealing at the failed Democrat candidate’s organization.
Key Takeaways
- Fair Fight Action, founded by Stacey Abrams, paid more than $20 million to a law firm co-founded by her friend and campaign chair, Allegra Lawrence-Hardy
- The payments were for a failed race-bias lawsuit against Georgia that was dismissed in 2022, with no evidence of voter discrimination found
- The lawsuit contributed to Fair Fight Action’s financial collapse, leaving it $2.5 million in debt, with subsequent staff layoffs
- Abrams and Lawrence-Hardy share multiple business connections, raising conflict-of-interest concerns and potential IRS violations
- This is part of a pattern, as Abrams has been involved with multiple nonprofits accused of financial misconduct
Millions Directed to Campaign Chair’s Firm
Fair Fight Action, the nonprofit founded by failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams to supposedly protect voting rights, is facing intense scrutiny after financial records revealed it paid over $20 million to a law firm co-founded by Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, Abrams’ close friend and campaign chair. These payments, made between 2019 and 2023 for “legal services,” primarily funded a race-bias lawsuit against Georgia Governor Brian Kemp that was ultimately dismissed in 2022. The lawsuit’s failure and its exorbitant price tag have raised serious questions about whether donor funds were properly managed.
The payments to Lawrence-Hardy’s firm stand in stark contrast to the nonprofit’s governing documents, which explicitly state the organization “will not be operated for the pecuniary gain or profit of any individual,” according to Fair Fight Action’s governing documents. While reasonable compensation for services is permitted, the $20 million figure, averaging over $4 million annually, has raised red flags among nonprofit experts. This is especially concerning given that Georgia spent less than $6 million on its legal defense in the same case, suggesting the fees paid to Lawrence-Hardy’s firm may have been inflated.
Friends With Benefits: Stacey Abrams Funneled $20 Million To Her Lawyer | Paul Sperry, RealClearPolitics
A nonprofit founded by Georgia Democratic politician Stacey Abrams to protect voting rights paid more than $20 million to a lawyer who is a close friend and helped set up two… pic.twitter.com/B5zMPspfuQ
— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) June 7, 2025
A Web of Personal and Business Connections
The relationship between Abrams and Lawrence-Hardy extends far beyond a typical client-attorney relationship. Lawrence-Hardy served as Abrams’ campaign chair for both her failed gubernatorial campaigns in 2018 and 2022, and the two are described as “very good friends,” according to Lawrence-Hardy herself. The pair share office space and have established businesses together, with Lawrence-Hardy incorporating companies in which Abrams holds interests. This tangled web of personal and professional connections creates an appearance of impropriety that undermines Fair Fight Action’s stated mission.
“Twenty million in fees is outrageous,” said Paul Kamenar, counsel at the National Legal and Policy Center, a conservative watchdog group.
When defending the failed lawsuit, Lawrence-Hardy dramatically characterized Georgia’s voting laws as “a modern-day Jim Crow.” Yet the court found no evidence to support these inflammatory claims, dismissing the case entirely. Despite this legal failure, Lawrence-Hardy’s firm continued receiving substantial payments from Fair Fight Action, contributing to the organization’s financial downfall. By 2024, the nonprofit had accumulated $2.5 million in debt and was forced to lay off staff, a direct consequence of its questionable financial decisions.
Pattern of Financial Misconduct
This is not the first time Abrams’ nonprofit ventures have faced financial scrutiny. Her New Georgia Project was fined $300,000 for failing to disclose campaign expenditures and is currently under investigation for financial discrepancies related to her 2018 gubernatorial campaign. Additionally, a watchdog group filed an IRS complaint against Fair Fight Action in 2019, alleging it was primarily promoting Abrams’ political career rather than fulfilling its charitable mission. These recurring issues suggest a troubling pattern of financial mismanagement across Abrams’ various organizations.
Abrams stepped down from Fair Fight’s board in December 2021 to run for governor again, after receiving an $80,000 annual salary as CEO. While there is no direct evidence that she benefited from the legal fees paid to Lawrence-Hardy’s firm, the appearance of self-dealing is unmistakable. For a politician who has openly expressed presidential ambitions, aiming to become the first black female U.S. president by 2040, these financial controversies could seriously hinder her political future and donor confidence in her leadership.
Taxpayer Money and Democrat Priorities
The financial improprieties at Fair Fight Action exemplify how leftist political organizations often misuse donor and taxpayer funds. Under President Trump’s administration, federal funding to left-leaning NGOs has been rightfully curtailed, a move that Fair Fight Action has criticized as it struggles financially. This case illustrates why such scrutiny is necessary; organizations claiming to fight for voting rights should not be funneling millions to insiders while failing to achieve meaningful results. American voters deserve transparency and accountability, not self-serving networks that enrich political allies under the guise of social justice.
