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Non-profit

Fair Fight Action

Website:

fairfight.com/
Location:

ATLANTA, GA
Tax ID:

47-1427359
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(4)

Budget (2021):

Revenue: $29,928,008
Expenses: $47,629,366
Assets: $4,976,834
Formation:

2014
Type:

Left-Wing Voting Rights Advocacy Group
Founder:

Stacey Abrams
Executive Director:

Cianti Stewart-Reid
Chair of the Board:

Salena Jegede

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

Fair Fight Action (formerly Voter Access Institute) is an advocacy nonprofit established in 2014 by Georgia Democratic politician Stacey Abrams, who lost the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election and persisted in denying the fact of her electoral defeat. 1 2 The stated focus of the organization is advocating for voting rights in Georgia. Critics have expressed suspicion that Abrams uses Fair Fight Action to promote her political ambitions using Fair Fight Action as a “dark money” organization. 3

Fair Fight PAC is the group’s political action committee.

Background

Fair Fight Action, Inc. was founded in 2014 as the Voter Access Institute by then-Georgia state Rep. Stacey Abrams (D-Atlanta), who ran unsuccessfully for Georgia governor in 2018. The CEO of Fair Fight Action is Lauren Groh-Wargo, who was Abrams’ campaign manager in the 2018 election. 4

The organization paid Abrams an annual salary of approximately $80,000. The group raised about $2.5 million from 2014 to 2016. 5

After Abrams lost the 2018 gubernatorial race, she stepped down as CEO to become board chairwoman. The organization scrapped bylaw language that specifically prohibited it from “directly or indirectly” participating “in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.” 6

Abrams referenced the organization when she delivered the Democratic Party response to President Donald Trump’s 2019 State of the Union address. 7

During Super Bowl LIII, which was held in Atlanta in 2019, Fair Fight Action spent $100,000 for an ad that ran throughout Georgia calling for election reform. The ad featured Abrams and Republican Habersham County Commissioner Natalie Crawford. 8

On January 18, 2023, environmental activist Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, who had been protesting the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, shot at and injured a state trooper after refusing to leave the area and was killed by police shortly after. 9 On January 22, a protest in Atlanta over Teran’s death turned violent after masked protesters began committing acts of vandalism including breaking windows with rocks, spraying walls with anti-cop graffiti, lit fireworks outside the Atlanta Police Foundation building, and set a police cruiser on fire. Six protesters were arrested and were charged with several felony charges including domestic terrorism. 10 On January 23, Fair Fight Action senior rapid response manager and advisor Marisa Pyle expressed support on Twitter for the activists arrested, stating, “You cannot commit violence against a window or a car. Killing a human? Now that, that is violence. Shame on Atlanta’s leaders who fall into the same tired path of protecting property while our people are murdered by their police.” 11

In January 2024, it was reported that Fair Fight would be laying off 20 employees, or roughly 75% of its staff, while narrowing their original mission focus due to a $2.5 million in debt, while only possessing $1.9 million in money. Former CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo announced she would return as an interim chief executive to lead a “restructuring” of the organization. 12 According to Fair Fight’s Board Chair Salena Jegede, the deficit was a result of, “rising litigation costs and slowing fundraising,” 13 and as a result made their, “current trajectory unsustainable.” 14

IRS Complaint

Fair Fight Action financed Abrams’ speaking tour and paid for her social media ads that promoted her allegations she was “robbed” of victory by her 2018 opponent, Gov. Brian Kemp. 15

The conservative watchdog group Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, or FACT, filed a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service alleging the nonprofit is promoting Abrams’ political ambitions. The FACT complaint to the IRS further argues that in at least one of her speeches bankrolled by the nonprofit, Abrams said, “I am running for office again.” The complaint further states the group hosted two dozen watch parties in early presidential primary states when she delivered the Democratic response to Trump’s State of the Union. 16

FACT contends Fair Fight Action is funding Abrams’ political ambitions, which allegedly contravenes prior IRS determinations prohibiting a 501(c)(4) from promoting “a single individual and that individual’s ‘agenda and platforms.’”17

Groh-Wargo countered that Abrams is the figurehead of the organization, but the group’s priority is voting rights issues. Abrams spokeswoman Caitlin Highland said Abrams will step down from Fair Fight Action’s board if she runs for any public office again. 18 In December 2021, Abrams declared her campaign to run for Governor of Georgia in the 2022 midterm elections, and thus resigned from her position as board chair and was replaced by Salena Jegede. 19

Financial Transactions

Fair Fight Action PAC, a legally separate entity, contributed a total of $60,000 to every Democratic state lawmaker in Georgia, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in January. 20

Abrams raised $12.5 million for two nonprofits between 2013 and 2016—Voter Access Institute (currently Fair Fight Action) and Third Sector Development, a nonprofit she founded in 1998, the Journal-Constitution reported. Third Sector Development ran a voter registration drive called the New Georgia Project. During her campaign for governor, she declined to reveal the source of the donations. For both organizations combined, Abrams earned a salary of $257,500 in 2014, $135,000 in 2015 and $50,000 in 2016. 21

Abrams submitted proposals to the liberal donor collective Democracy Alliance in 2015 claiming the New Georgia Project would register 42,000 to 51,000 Georgia voters in the 2016 presidential race. The proposal seeking funding said Voter Access Institute would turn out 600,000 voters.

Separately, Abrams said that billionaire liberal financier George Soros and his son Alexander gave a total of $1.25 million to her PAC, GeorgiaNEXT, from 2014 through 2018, but Abrams would not say how much either gave to her non-profits. 22

The voter drive also prompted an investigation by the Georgia Secretary of State’s office and the state Board of Elections. Abrams said the scrutiny of her nonprofits, “The implicit question is: Why didn’t you do it for less – or for free? I can’t imagine that any man at the head of a non-profit, who achieved what we achieved, and raised the kind of money that we raised, would be asked that question.” 23

Georgia Lawsuit

Fair Fight Action sued the state of Georgia over the 2018 election, claiming minority voters were denied the right to vote. The 66-page complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia claims Georgia used “discriminatory voting barriers reminiscent of the Jim Crow era.” Titled Fair Fight Action v. Raffensperger, the lawsuit would seek to require Georgia to stop cleaning voter rolls of inactive voters, ban touchscreen voting machines, and ensure Georgians “can vote without unreasonable delay or hardship during any election.” 24 25

The lawsuit had accused Abrams’ rival, now-Governor Brian Kemp (R), of using his former position of secretary of state, with oversight of state elections, of trying to prevent minority voters from casting ballots. 26

Law firm Lawrence & Bundy worked with Fair Fight Action over the course of the lawsuit, receiving $9.4 million from the organization between 2019 and 2020. 27 One of the partners at the firm, Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, is a close friend of Stacy Abrams and chaired her campaign for governor in 2018 and her campaign in 2022. 28

In September 2022, a federal judge ruled against Fair Fight Action and dismissed the suit, stating “Although Georgia’s election system is not perfect…the challenged practices violate neither the constitution nor the [Voting Rights Act].” 29

According to tax filings for Fair Fight Action, the organization spent $12 million in legal fees in 2021 over the Fair Fight Action v. Raffensperger lawsuit it had started in 2018. In total, the organization spent roughly $37.7 million in legal fees between 2019 and 2021. The same 2021 tax filings show that $4.4 million was paid that year to Lawrence & Bundy, one of several law firms representing the organization which employees former Abrams campaign chairperson Allegra Lawrence-Hardy. The firm received $13.8 million in total from the group between 2019 and 2021. 30

Leadership

Stacey Abrams is the founder of Fair Fight Action. 31 She served as chair of the organization until she declared her 2022 campaign for governor in the state of Georgia in December 2021, whereas she resigned, and Salena Jegede became the new chair of the board as of October 2022. 32 33

In November 2020, Fair Fight Action employee José Morales was chosen to be on the Biden Department of Justice transition team. 34

Funding

Financial Overview

The Voter Participation Center: Financial Overview
YearTotal RevenuesTotal ExpendituresGrants PaidNet Assets
2018 $1,038,657 $719,047 $10,000 $321,739
2017- $74,411 $60,000 $2,129
2016 $460,000 $385,515 - $76,540
2015 $199,000 $275,106 - $2,055
2014 $2,000,000 $1,909,924 - $90,126
Total: $3,697,657 $3,364,003 $70,000

Donors to Fair Fight Action

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, steered a $10,000 donation from her campaign committee to Fair Fight Action. 35

Financial Documents

Fair Fight Action’s IRS Form 990 filings for 2018 and 2019 are available here:

References

  1. Fair Fight Action. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2014
  2. Rutz, David. “Abrams Still Refuses to Accept Defeat in Georgia Governor’s Race: ‘I Did Win My Election’.” Washington Free Beacon. March 15, 2019. Accessed April 09, 2019. https://freebeacon.com/politics/abrams-still-refuses-to-accept-defeat-in-georgia-governors-race-i-did-win-my-election/.
  3. Markay, Lachlan. “Stacey Abrams Takes Step Towards Running Again by Retooling Dark-Money Group.” The Daily Beast. January 24, 2019. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://www.thedailybeast.com/stacey-abrams-retools-her-dark-money-group?ref=author
  4. Slodysko, Brian. “Political Spending by Abrams’ Nonprofit Could Pose Problems.” Associated Press. March 20, 2019. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/political-spending-abrams-nonprofit-pose-problems-61820230
  5. Slodysko, Brian. “Political Spending by Abrams’ Nonprofit Could Pose Problems.” Associated Press. March 20, 2019. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/political-spending-abrams-nonprofit-pose-problems-61820230
  6. Markay, Lachlan. “Stacey Abrams Takes Step Towards Running Again by Retooling Dark-Money Group.” The Daily Beast. January 24, 2019. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://www.thedailybeast.com/stacey-abrams-retools-her-dark-money-group?ref=author
  7. Cummings, William. “Read the Full Transcript of Stacey Abrams’ Rebuttal to Trump’s State of the Union.” USA Today. February 6, 2019. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/02/06/stacey-abrams-rebuttal-transcript/2787653002/.
  8. Bluestein, Greg. “Stacey Abrams Set to Make a Super Bowl Debut.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution. January 31, 2019. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/stacey-abrams-set-make-super-bowl-debut/jqKMteRwmj0Fs3IqwcNOXI/
  9. Schoffstall, Joe. “Stacey Abrams adviser said burning police car, smashing windows isn’t ‘violence’ after anti-cop chaos.” Fox News, January 24, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/stacey-abrams-adviser-said-burning-police-car-smashing-windows-isnt-violence-anti-cop-chaos
  10. Schoffstall, Joe. “Stacey Abrams adviser said burning police car, smashing windows isn’t ‘violence’ after anti-cop chaos.” Fox News, January 24, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/stacey-abrams-adviser-said-burning-police-car-smashing-windows-isnt-violence-anti-cop-chaos
  11. Schoffstall, Joe. “Stacey Abrams adviser said burning police car, smashing windows isn’t ‘violence’ after anti-cop chaos.” Fox News, January 24, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/stacey-abrams-adviser-said-burning-police-car-smashing-windows-isnt-violence-anti-cop-chaos
  12. Bluestein, Greg. “Abrams-founded Fair Fight lays off staff, pares back services amid mounting debt.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 30, 2024. https://www.ajc.com/politics/abrams-founded-fair-fight-lays-off-staff-pares-back-services-amid-mounting-debt/UIFGIO2TXBFI5GF6SAQMN4U6UQ/
  13. Bluestein, Greg. “Abrams-founded Fair Fight lays off staff, pares back services amid mounting debt.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 30, 2024. https://www.ajc.com/politics/abrams-founded-fair-fight-lays-off-staff-pares-back-services-amid-mounting-debt/UIFGIO2TXBFI5GF6SAQMN4U6UQ/
  14. Bluestein, Greg. “Abrams-founded Fair Fight lays off staff, pares back services amid mounting debt.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 30, 2024. https://www.ajc.com/politics/abrams-founded-fair-fight-lays-off-staff-pares-back-services-amid-mounting-debt/UIFGIO2TXBFI5GF6SAQMN4U6UQ/
  15. Markay, Lachlan. “Stacey Abrams Takes Step Towards Running Again by Retooling Dark-Money Group.” The Daily Beast. January 24, 2019. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://www.thedailybeast.com/stacey-abrams-retools-her-dark-money-group?ref=author
  16. Press Release. “Watchdog FACT Calls for IRS Probe of Outside Group Supporting Stacey Abrams.” Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust. March 20, 2019. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://www.factdc.org/post/watchdog-fact-calls-for-irs-probe-of-outside-group-supporting-stacey-abrams
  17. Slodysko, Brian. “Political Spending by Abrams’ Nonprofit Could Pose Problems.” Associated Press. March 20, 2019. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/political-spending-abrams-nonprofit-pose-problems-61820230
  18. Slodysko, Brian. “Political Spending by Abrams’ Nonprofit Could Pose Problems.” Associated Press. March 20, 2019. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/political-spending-abrams-nonprofit-pose-problems-61820230
  19. “Our Leadership Team.” Fair Fight Action, Accessed October 28, 2022. https://fairfight.com/our-team/
  20. Bluestein, Greg. “Abrams Restocks Democratic Lawmakers’ Campaign Coffers.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution. January 11, 2019. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/abrams-restocks-democratic-lawmakers-campaign-coffers/BE7l92NYJGN316Ck75ZIDK/
  21. Judd, Alan. “Voter Drive Raised Millions, but Abrams Won’t Say From Whom.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. September 14, 2018. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://www.ajc.com/news/state–regional-govt–politics/voter-drive-raised-millions-but-abrams-won-say-from-whom/8eYeUD80WFSaCYO3Y3ANdL/
  22. Judd, Alan. “Voter Drive Raised Millions, but Abrams Won’t Say From Whom.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. September 14, 2018. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://www.ajc.com/news/state–regional-govt–politics/voter-drive-raised-millions-but-abrams-won-say-from-whom/8eYeUD80WFSaCYO3Y3ANdL/
  23. Kiefer, Elizabeth. “Stacey Abrams is the American Dream. She’s Also $200,000 in Debt.” Glamour. April 27, 2018. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://www.glamour.com/story/stacey-abrams-200000-in-debt
  24. Fausset, Richard. “Large-Scale Reforms’ of Georgia Elections Sought in Federal Lawsuit.” The New York Times. November 27, 2018. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/27/us/georgia-elections-federal-lawsuit.html
  25. Gibson, Brittany. “Abrams’ campaign chair collected millions in legal fees from voting rights organization.” Politico, October 24, 2022. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/24/stacey-abrams-fair-fight-action-00061348
  26. Bauerlein, Valerie. The Wall Street Journal. November 27, 2018. Accessed April 5, 2018. https://www.wsj.com/articles/stacey-abrams-group-files-federal-suit-alleging-georgia-mismanaged-election-1543351922
  27. Gibson, Brittany. “Abrams’ campaign chair collected millions in legal fees from voting rights organization.” Politico, October 24, 2022. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/24/stacey-abrams-fair-fight-action-00061348
  28. Gibson, Brittany. “Abrams’ campaign chair collected millions in legal fees from voting rights organization.” Politico, October 24, 2022. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/24/stacey-abrams-fair-fight-action-00061348
  29. Gibson, Brittany. “Abrams’ campaign chair collected millions in legal fees from voting rights organization.” Politico, October 24, 2022. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/24/stacey-abrams-fair-fight-action-00061348
  30. Gibson, Brittany. “Tax forms reveal steep legal fees for voting rights group founded by Stacey Abrams.” Politico, December 23, 2022. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/23/tax-forms-legal-fees-voting-rights-group-stacey-abrams-00075321?nname=politico-nightly&nid=00000170-c000-da87-af78-e185fa700000&nrid=0000015a-9000-df6d-af7e-f5a373980000&nlid=2670445
  31. “Our Leadership Team,” February 28, 2020. https://fairfight.com/our-team/.
  32. Gibson, Brittany. “Abrams’ campaign chair collected millions in legal fees from voting rights organization.” Politico, October 24, 2022. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/24/stacey-abrams-fair-fight-action-00061348
  33. “Our Leadership Team.” Fair Fight Action, Accessed October 28, 2022. https://fairfight.com/our-team/
  34. “Agency Review Teams.” President-Elect Joe Biden, December 1, 2020. https://buildbackbetter.gov/the-transition/agency-review-teams/.
  35. Schoffstall, Joe. “Elizabeth Warren Made $10,000 Donation to Stacey Abrams’ Dark Money Nonprofit.” Washington Free Beacon. February 12, 2019. Accessed April 5, 2019. https://freebeacon.com/politics/elizabeth-warren-made-10000-donation-to-stacey-abramss-dark-money-nonprofit/

Directors, Employees & Supporters

  1. Stacey Abrams
    Founder
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: December - November
  • Tax Exemption Received: September 1, 2014

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2021 Dec Form 990 $29,928,008 $47,629,366 $4,976,834 $1,517,897 N $29,927,538 $0 $470 $231,095
    2020 Dec Form 990 $50,957,117 $29,626,370 $23,944,474 $2,790,321 N $50,953,480 $0 $3,637 $104,413
    2019 Dec Form 990 $10,934,750 $10,336,848 $909,591 $0 N $10,921,308 $0 $3,731 $94,842
    2018 Dec Form 990 $1,038,657 $719,047 $321,739 $0 N $1,038,617 $0 $40 $0 PDF
    2017 Dec Form 990EZ $0 $0 $2,129 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
    2016 Dec Form 990 $460,000 $385,515 $76,540 $0 N $460,000 $0 $0 $0 PDF
    2015 Dec Form 990 $199,000 $275,106 $2,055 $0 N $199,000 $0 $0 $120,000 PDF
    2014 Dec Form 990 $2,000,000 $1,909,924 $90,126 $0 N $2,000,000 $0 $0 $0 PDF

    Fair Fight Action

    1270 CAROLINE ST NE STE D120 # 430
    ATLANTA, GA 30307-2954