Head Of Stacey Abrams’ Embattled Nonprofit To Step Down

The head of an embattled nonprofit founded by former Democratic Georgia state Rep. Stacey Abrams said on Monday that he intends to step down from his role, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Francys Johnson, who leads the New Georgia Project, told staff during a private meeting on Monday that the voting rights organization would soon be entering a “new era” and that he is resigning from leading the group, according to the AJC. Johnson’s resignation closely follows a number of challenges facing the organization, including backlash over recent employee layoffs, as well as a massive ethics fine issued in January for failing to disclose millions in political funding.

“I’ve probably done all the good I can do, and my presence is a distraction to our mission,” Johnson said in a recording of the phone call with staffers obtained by the AJC. “It’s unfortunate, and it’s a reality I can recognize. It’s time to let the organization move forward beyond all this.”

Abrams ran in both the 2018 and 2022 Georgia gubernatorial races, losing to Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp both times.

The nonprofit, which calls itself a “nonpartisan civic engagement organization,” is required to refrain from endorsing political candidates or engaging in partisan activity in order to maintain its tax-exempt status. Despite this, the New Georgia Project was