SR 292: Senate Special Committee on Investigations; investigate additional matters; to authorize the use of compulsory process to secure the attendance of witnesses; authorize

The Senate Special Committee on Investigations was created earlier this session by Senate Resolution 5 to look into misconduct allegations against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. This resolution adds a new set of matters for that same committee to investigate: campaign finance violations by the New Georgia Project and New Georgia Action Fund, organizations founded by Stacey Abrams, which settled with the State Ethics Commission for a $300,000 fine, and a $2 billion federal grant awarded to Power Forward Communities, another organization tied to Abrams. The resolution keeps the committee's existing members and officers and simply extends its authority. The committee retains the power to put witnesses under oath, subpoena testimony and documents, and take depositions, following the same rules and meeting procedures set out in Senate Resolution 5. Funding continues to come from Senate appropriations, and any findings must be approved by majority vote before being filed as a report with the Secretary of the Senate.

• Expands the Senate Special Committee on Investigations' authority to cover new subjects: campaign finance conduct by New Georgia Project, New Georgia Action Fund, and a federal grant to Power Forward Communities.
• Keeps the committee's existing members and officers from Senate Resolution 5 unchanged.
• Reauthorizes the committee to administer oaths, subpoena witnesses, compel production of documents, and take depositions for the new investigation.
• Directs that funding for the expanded investigation come from money already appropriated to the Senate.
• Requires any committee findings or recommendations to be approved by majority vote of a quorum before being filed as a report with the Secretary of the Senate.

The Senate Special Committee on Investigations and its members; organizations under scrutiny such as the New Georgia Project, New Georgia Action Fund, and Power Forward Communities; and any individuals or entities who could be subpoenaed to testify or produce records during the expanded inquiry.

The resolution gives a legislative committee formal power to compel testimony and documents from organizations tied to a prominent political figure, which could shape future state campaign finance or nonprofit oversight laws and expose those organizations to legal scrutiny beyond the existing ethics settlement.

• Paragraph 1 expands the committee's authority beyond the Fani Willis investigation authorized in Senate Resolution 5, adding these matters rather than replacing the original ones.
• Paragraph 2 keeps the committee's existing members and officers as set under Senate Resolution 5.
• Paragraph 3 grants the committee power to administer oaths, require witness attendance, compel production of records, take depositions, and issue and enforce subpoenas for the expanded inquiry.
• Paragraph 4 applies Senate Resolution 5's existing rules and meeting procedures to the expanded investigation.
• Paragraph 5 states that funding for the expanded work will come from funds already appropriated to the Senate.
• Paragraph 6 sets out reporting rules, requiring majority committee approval before any report or recommendation is filed with the Secretary of the Senate.

1. 2025-03-27Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
2. 2025-03-27Senate Third Read (Senate)
3. 2025-03-25Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
4. 2025-03-21Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
5. 2025-02-28Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
6. 2025-02-27Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-46)Primary sponsor
• John F. Kennedy (R, SD-18)
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-51)
• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-27)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-31)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-29)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-19)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-42)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 27, 2025

   33 yea, 21 nay (0 not voting, 2 excused)

   ADOPTION: Senate Vote #307

• campaign finance
• legislative investigations
• ethics violations
• Stacey Abrams organizations
• Senate subpoena power