Stacey Abrams files suit alleging fundraising disadvantage in Georgia race

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Stacey Abrams, the Democratic Gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, has filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging a fundraising disadvantage against her opponent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.

The lawsuit argues that Stacey Abrams is not able to take advantage of a new kind of fundraising committee, signed into law by Republican Governor Brian Kemp last year, that her opponent has already been able to utilize.

The law allows for a select few top candidates, including the incumbent governor and major party nominees, to make use of a gubernatorial leadership committee. A leadership committee allows for certain people and groups to accept unlimited campaign contributions.

The current rule for Abrams, giving to direct candidate committees, is limited to $7,600 contributions apiece for the primary and general elections and $4,500 contributions for any runoff election.

“Brian Kemp signed legislation giving himself exclusive access to a special fundraising committee, and he’s already raised millions of dollars into it,” Abrams’ campaign said in a statement. “Our campaign should have that same access.”

Stacey Abrams faces unfair disadvantage…again.

Abrams argues that because no one filed to run against her in the May 24 Democratic primary, she became the nominee when qualifying closed.

“Ms. Abrams, the sole qualified and declared Democratic candidate for Governor of Georgia, and her campaign committee will be unable to operate, control, chair, or otherwise use One Georgia, a leadership committee…to support her campaign without credible and justified threat and fear of legal proceedings being instituted against Plaintiffs,” the lawsuit says.

Georgia has not yet approved Stacey Abram’s leadership due to disputes over whether she qualified as a nominee before the primary, even though the state’s Democratic Party chair has recognized Abrams’ candidacy as the sole nominee.

In an affidavit, the Democratic Party chair, Nikema Williams, wrote, “The only candidate who qualified with DPG (Democratic Party of Georgia) to run for the office of Governor of the State of Georgia prior to the end of the 2022 candidate qualifying period on March 11, 2022 is Stacey Abrams.”

Kemp has already been sued by Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga), who’s challenging Kemp for the Republican nomination, over his use of the leadership committee. A judge sided with Perdue in that case and barred Kemp from using the money in the primary race, but not in the general election.