Stacey Abrams Sues Over Unlimited Fundraising Law Currently Boosting Her GOP Opponent
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Stacey Abrams filed a federal lawsuit Monday asking a judge to give her gubernatorial leadership committee the power to begin fundraising under a Georgia law that currently blocks it from doing so, while allowing her presumptive Republican opponent’s to raise an unlimited sum. Abrams’ committee has not yet been approved by the state as she hasn’t been officially declared the Democratic nominee for governor. However, no one filed to run against her before the deadline, and write-in votes will not be allowed in the election. Abrams said in her filing that that makes her the nominee, an argument bolstered by the endorsement of the state Democratic Party chair, Nikema Williams. The law, created by Georgia last year, allows the incumbent governor and other major party nominees to skirt typical campaign finance limits by way of the leadership committees, which are unusually allowed to coordinate directly with their candidates’ campaigns. Abrams called it unconstitutional in her lawsuit, saying it was a “poorly-designed, if potent, scheme” to benefit Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. The governor raised $2.3 million through January by way of the law after signing it into effect, according to the Associated Press.