Stacey Abrams, the failed Democratic candidate for governor in Georgia, has revamped her dark money group as rumors have swirled that she may seek a spot in the U.S. Senate next year.
Abrams is the executive director of Fair Fight, which was launched on Nov. 16, 2018, to focus on election reform, education, and increasing voter turnout. Two weeks after its public launch, the group filed a federal lawsuit against Georgia election officials alleging black voters were disenfranchised and led to her defeat.
Fair Fight, which was previously called the Voter Access Initiative, recently removed language from its bylaws that would now allow the group to "directly or indirectly" get involved "in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office" as she has been considered a potential challenger to Republican Sen. David Perdue during the 2020 elections, Lachlan Markay at the Daily Beast reports.
The group formed a sister political action committee that has pushed money to Democratic candidates in the state. The Daily Beast notes that the change would allow Abrams's group to donate money to super PACs that are supporting specific candidates and use communications backing or attacking candidates.
Abrams herself benefitted from dark money groups who attack a "corrupt campaign finance system" during her failed gubernatorial run.
Abrams is additionally linked the Democracy Alliance, the left's largest dark money donor network that counts liberal billionaire George Soros one of its top members. Abrams was present last year at the alliance's secretive gathering in Atlanta and led a panel that showcased a progressive dream agenda that would include reparations for slavery, according to documents obtained by the Washington Free Beacon at the gathering.
Democrats as a whole drastically benefitted from dark money during the midterm elections in comparison to their Republican counterparts, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The Journal references a study by Issue One, a group that works to reduce money in politics, that shows dark money groups spent $150 million throughout the 2018 election cycle. Of the $150 million in dark money injected into elections, 54 percent helped Democrats, 31 percent backed Republicans, and 15 percent was considered nonpartisan.
Majority Forward, a liberal Washington, D.C.-based group, was the biggest dark money spender the last cycle, pouring $46 million in 10 competitive Senate races.
J.B. Poersch, who is closely tied to Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, leads the group's operations. Majority Forward additionally shares office space with the Senate Majority PAC, a super PAC that is also run by Poersch.
Majority Forward was incorporated in 2015 by powerhouse Democratic lawyer Marc Elias, who served as general counsel for Hillary Clinton's campaign and recently signed on to act as Kamala Harris's top lawyer for her presidential run.