Democrat Stacey Abrams built voter rights and registration nonprofit organizations in Georgia for several years before her unsuccessful runs for governor in 2018 and 2022.
A Dec. 9 Facebook video says one of those nonprofits, New Georgia Project, and an affiliated organization broke laws on fundraising and political spending, with the caption saying Abrams faces criminal charges as a result.
"THEY CAUGHT HER!” reads the caption on the video, which drew more than 300,000 views in 18 days. “Stacey Abrams Facing CRIMINAL CHARGES After Getting BUSTING (sic) in Nationwide Scheme.”
The video shows a segment from The Next News Network, which operates a YouTube channel and bills itself as “The Right Source For News.” It features a news anchor discussing a Georgia ethics investigation into money spent by the New Georgia Project and its affiliated New Georgia Project Action Fund in 2018 to support Democratic candidates.
“They finally caught her,” the anchor says at one point.
But Abrams is not facing criminal charges because of the activities of the two nonprofits. The ethics panel investigating the campaign activity in Georgia does not take matters to criminal court. And New Georgia Project's alleged fundraising with expired registrations came when Abrams did not hold a role with the group.
USA TODAY reached out to the creator of the video and the Facebook users who shared it for...
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