A new investigation has uncovered that Stacey Abrams’ nonprofit Fair Fight Action quietly funneled over $20.2 million to her longtime friend and former campaign chair, attorney Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, for legal work tied to a failed election lawsuit that critics now call a “frivolous, politically motivated stunt.”
According to records obtained by RealClearInvestigations, the payments—averaging more than $4 million annually over five years—flowed from the tax-exempt organization to Lawrence-Hardy’s boutique law firm, Lawrence & Bundy LLC, which was hired to spearhead Fair Fight Action v. Raffensperger, a high-profile race-bias case filed after Abrams lost the 2018 Georgia governor’s race to Republican Brian Kemp.
Despite the group’s stated mission to protect voting rights, the failed lawsuit—which cost Georgia less than $6 million to defend—ended in complete defeat. A federal judge, appointed by President Obama, found no direct evidence that any voter was denied the right to vote under Georgia’s laws. Yet the legal fees kept flowing.
A Deep Personal and Financial Connection
The revelations have sparked serious concerns of self-dealing and ethical misconduct, especially given the close personal ties between Abrams and Lawrence-Hardy, who have been friends since attending Spelman College. Records show Lawrence-Hardy helped set up at least two of Abrams’ private businesses and has shared an office suite with her for years.
Legal experts say the size of the legal fees is highly irregular, particularly given the case’s clear lack of merit. “Twenty million in fees is outrageous,” said Paul Kamenar, counsel for the National Legal and Policy Center. “This may be an IRS violation for waste of nonprofit assets, as well as self-dealing and other ethical and legal breaches.”
Despite the lawsuit’s failure, Lawrence-Hardy listed the case as a major career achievement on her firm’s website. Yet no evidence of intentional voter suppression was ever produced.
Nonprofit’s Collapse and Mounting Debt
As a result of these massive legal expenditures, Fair Fight Action was driven into $2.5 million in debt, forcing the nonprofit to lay off most of its staff. Tax filings show the firm billed:
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$3.1 million in 2019
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$6.4 million in 2020
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$4.4 million in 2021
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$5 million in 2022 (the year the lawsuit was dismissed)
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$1.3 million in 2023 (after the case had already been thrown out)
In total: $20.2 million—most of it tied to a single, unsuccessful lawsuit.
Political Gain, Personal Reward
Abrams has long claimed her 2018 loss was the result of voter suppression, launching Fair Fight as both a legal tool and political platform. But while the lawsuit failed, it elevated her national profile, transforming her into a political celebrity and progressive icon.
Critics argue the lawsuit was always more about politics and personal branding than voter protection. “It was a messaging war,” said one ethics analyst. “And now it’s clear: it was also a multi-million-dollar payout to a political ally.”
The IRS has declined to say whether it is currently investigating the nonprofit. However, watchdog groups have filed multiple complaints over the years, alleging Fair Fight improperly blurred the line between tax-exempt activism and political self-promotion. Past filings reportedly showed the nonprofit funded ads promoting Abrams and paid for some of her travel expenses.
No Transparency, No Accountability
Despite repeated requests, neither Abrams nor Lawrence-Hardy would provide detailed billing records, hourly rates, or justification for the extraordinary legal fees. Without transparency, it’s impossible to know exactly how the money was spent—though the optics alone have raised alarms across the political spectrum.
As Abrams eyes her next move in national politics, one question looms larger than ever