--- title: SR 292. Senate Special Committee on Investigations; investigate additional matters; to authorize the use of compulsory process to secure the attendance of witnesses; authorize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr292 cite_as: SR 292, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr292 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr292.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr292/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70929 date: 2025-03-27 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr291.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr293.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 434 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr292.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 292 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2025-03-27 last_action: Senate Passed/Adopted sponsors: - Bill Cowsert - John Kennedy - Steve Gooch - Greg Dolezal - Jason Anavitarte - Randy Robertson - Blake Tillery - Brian Strickland text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR292/2025 upstream_id: 1987905 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - campaign finance - ethics investigations - Stacey Abrams - legislative subpoenas - nonprofit oversight --- # SR 292. Senate Special Committee on Investigations; investigate additional matters; to authorize the use of compulsory process to secure the attendance of witnesses; authorize ## Text 25 LC 47 3469 Senate Resolution 292 By: Senators Cowsert of the 46th, Kennedy of the 18th, Gooch of the 51st, Dolezal of the 27th, Anavitarte of the 31st and others ADOPTED SENATE A RESOLUTION Authorizing the Senate Special Committee on Investigations to i nvestigate additional1 matters; to authorize the use of compulsory process to secure the attendance of witnesses or2 the production of documents and materials related to such additional matters; and for other3 purposes.4 WHEREAS, on January 15, 2025, the State Ethics Commission agreed to a settlement of a5 long-running ethics investigation into the New Georgia Project and the associated New6 Georgia Action Fund, both of which were founded by Stacey Abram s, that resulted in the7 payment of a $300,000.00 fine, the largest fine for an ethics violation in Georgia history; and8 WHEREAS, as part of such settlement, the New Georgia Project an d the New Georgia9 Action Fund admitted to 16 violations of Georgia campaign finance laws by illegally raising10 $4.2 million in donations and spending $3.2 million of dark mon ey in support of Stacey11 Abrams' 2018 campaign for Governor and the state-wide campaigns of other Democrats12 running in the 2018 general election; and13 WHEREAS, the New Georgia Project and the New Georgia Action Fund also admitted to14 illegally raising $646,000.00 in contributions and making $174, 000.00 in dark money15 S. R. 292 - 1 - 25 LC 47 3469 expenditures in support of a referendum seeking to have Gwinnet t County join the16 Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority; and17 WHEREAS, such funds were used for establishing field offices, c anvassing activities,18 campaign literature promoting Stacey Abrams and other state-wid e candidates, and social19 media engagement by the purportedly nonpartisan New Georgia Project and New Georgia20 Action Fund; and 21 WHEREAS, it is reported that Rick Thompson, the vice chairman o f the State Ethics22 Commission, lamented that the actions of the New Georgia Projec t and the New Georgia23 Action Fund should be criminal because of the significant impact secret money can have on 24 elections; and25 WHEREAS, in February 2025, Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the federal Environmental26 Protection Agency, announced that another organization with ties to Stacey Abrams, Power27 Forward Communities, was awarded a $2 billion dollar grant in 2024; and28 WHEREAS, Administrator Zeldin stated that such grant was governed by a grant agreement29 that provided for the funds to be disbursed within 21 days, with such disbursements made at30 the discretion of the organization more than 60 days before the organization was required to31 complete training on preparing a budget; and 32 WHEREAS, inquiry into the foregoing issues may show that existing state laws, including33 those establishing processes related to campaign finance and th e operation of nonprofit34 organizations, are inadequate to address various legal and fiscal issues raised by the alleged35 and admitted conduct of multiple organizations with connections to Stacey Abrams; and36 S. R. 292 - 2 - 25 LC 47 3469 WHEREAS, such inquiry is necessary to determine whether Georgia laws related to37 campaign finance and ethics need to be strengthened to eliminat e coordination between38 campaigns and advocacy organizations, or whether additional res ources are necessary for39 state enforcement and oversight of such activities; and 40 WHEREAS, such inquiry is necessary to determine if any link exists between organizations 41 receiving federal funds and political activities occurring within the State of Georgia such as42 the alleged and admitted conduct by multiple organizations associated with Stacey Abrams43 and whether additional state law or enforcement tools are necessary to address such illegal44 coordination and misuse of public funds; and45 WHEREAS, the General Assembly, of which the Senate is a part, has "the power to make46 all laws not inconsistent with this Constitution, and not repugnant to the Constitution of the47 United States, which it shall deem necessary and proper for the welfare of the state"; see Ga.48 Const. Art. III, Sec. VI, Para. I; and49 WHEREAS, the General Assembly is further specifically empowered by the Constitution of50 the State of Georgia to pass legislation regarding the conducting of elections, see Ga. Const.51 Art. II, Sec. I, Para. I; and52 WHEREAS, the Senate has the inherent power and authority to conduct investigations into53 any matter relevant to the administration and enforcement of existing laws, proposals for new54 or amended laws, and any other matter germane to its role as part of the legislative branch55 of state government; and56 WHEREAS, the superior court of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit has considered the question of57 the Senate's authority to create the Special Committee on Inves tigations, see Willis v. The58 S. R. 292 - 3 - 25 LC 47 3469 Georgia Senate Special Committee on Investigations, et al., Civil Action No. 24CV01120459 (Ga. Super. Dec. 23, 2024); and60 WHEREAS, the Superior Court in Willis agreed and acknowledged that precedent maintains61 that the "inherent powers of our State General Assembly are awesome … The legislature is62 absolutely unrestricted in its power to legislate, so long as i t does not undertake to enact63 measures prohibited by the State or Federal Constitution," Willis at 2 (citing Ga. Power Co.64 v. Allied Chem. Corp. , 233 Ga. 558, 565 (citing Sears v. State of Georgia , 232 Ga. 547,65 553-54)); and 66 WHEREAS, the Willis court further recognized that the "State Constitution authorizes each67 chamber to adopt its own rules and create committees … Here, th e Senate, as a chamber,68 empowered itself to issue subpoenas, which it was authorized to do," Willis at 3 (citing Ga.69 Const. Art. III, Sec. IV, Par. IV; Coggin v. Davey, 233 Ga. 407, 411); and70 WHEREAS, such inherent powers also include the authority to create special committees for71 the purpose of conducting investigations and to endow such committees with all the inherent72 powers of investigation possessed by the Senate, including the power to compel the73 appearance and testimony of witnesses and the production of records and the power to place74 witnesses under oath or affirmation; and75 WHEREAS, in addition to such inherent powers, Code Sections 45- 15-17 and 45-15-1976 empower the General Assembly to make investigations into the affairs of the state and further77 authorize compelling the appearance and testimony of witnesses and the production of78 records and grants, the power to place witnesses under oath or affirmation, and to enforce79 subpoenas issued pursuant thereto; and80 S. R. 292 - 4 - 25 LC 47 3469 WHEREAS, Article III, Section IV, Paragraph IV of the Georgia Constitution provides for81 the creation of interim committees pursuant to the authority of the General Assembly or of82 either house; and83 WHEREAS, on January 13, 2025, the Senate adopted Senate Resolut ion 5 to recreate and84 reauthorize the Senate Special Committee on Investigations, and empowered such committee85 to investigate alleged and admitted misconduct by Fani Willis, the district attorney for the86 Atlanta Judicial Circuit; and87 WHEREAS, Senate Resolution 5 authorized the Senate Special Committee on Investigations88 to undertake a legislative investigation, and granted such committee the power to administer89 oaths, call parties to testify under oath, require the attendance of witnesses and the production90 of books, records, and papers; and91 WHEREAS, Senate Resolution 5 further authorized the Senate Spec ial Committee on92 Investigations to issue subpoenas for witnesses or to compel th e production of books,93 records, or papers, and authorized such committee to take such actions as it deems necessary; 94 and95 WHEREAS, in the exercise of the aforesaid powers, it is necessary to determine whether the96 conduct of various organizations associated with Stacey Abrams should be addressed by the97 enactment of new or amended laws of state-wide application, prompt some change in state98 enforcement of campaign finance and ethics laws, or both; and99 WHEREAS, it is the sense of the Senate that such issues arising from or relating to the100 alleged and admitted conduct of various organizations associate d with Stacey Abrams are101 S. R. 292 - 5 - 25 LC 47 3469 best examined by a select group of Senators who, acting as a sp ecial committee, shall be102 empowered to exercise each of the Senate's inherent and statutory powers of investigation.103 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE:104 (1) Expansion of Authority Already Delegated to the Senate Special Committee. 105 The Senate hereby authorizes and empowers the Senate Special Co mmittee on106 Investigations, established by Senate Resolution 5 to investiga te and report upon the107 additional matters outlined in this resolution, and that such i nvestigations and reports108 shall be in addition to, not in lieu of, the investigations authorized in Senate Resolution109 5.110 (2) Members and officers. The existing members and officers of the Senate Special111 Committee on Investigations shall remain as originally provided for in Senate Resolution112 5.113 (3) Powers and duties. The committee is hereby authorized to undertake an expanded114 legislative investigation into the issues mentioned above or re lated thereto. For the115 purpose of conducting any expanded investigation as provided he rein, the committee116 shall have the same power to administer oaths; to call any party to testify under oath at117 such investigations; to require the attendance of witnesses and the production of books,118 records, and papers; and to take the depositions of witnesses a s provided for in Senate 119 Resolution 5. For such purposes, the committee is reauthorized to issue subpoenas for120 any witness or to compel the production of any books, records, or papers and is further121 reauthorized to undertake such actions as may be necessary to e nforce such subpoenas122 in cases of refusal to obey. 123 (4) Rules and meetings. Operation and meetings of the Senate Special Committee on124 Investigations carrying out the expanded investigatory powers granted in this resolution125 shall be governed by the provisions of Senate Resolution 5 rega rding the rules and126 S. R. 292 - 6 - 25 LC 47 3469 meetings of such committee to enable the committee to exercise fully and effectively its127 powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.128 (5) Funding. Funds necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come129 from funds appropriated to the Senate.130 (6) Report.131 (A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that132 include suggestions for proposed legislation or changes in appr opriations, the133 chairperson shall file a report of the same, subject to subpara graph (C) of this134 paragraph.135 (B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not i nclude suggestions for136 proposed legislation or changes in appropriations, the chairperson shall file the report,137 subject to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.138 (C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved by majority vote of a139 quorum of the committee. A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of140 the committee and filed with the Secretary of the Senate.141 (D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Secretary142 of the Senate a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu thereof.143 S. R. 292 - 7 - ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution expands the Senate Special Committee on Investigations to look into nonprofit organizations tied to Stacey Abrams, giving the committee subpoena power over new witnesses and records. ### Plain-language summary This resolution builds on Senate Resolution 5, which created the Senate Special Committee on Investigations earlier in 2025 to look into Fani Willis. SR292 expands that same committee's mission to also investigate organizations linked to Stacey Abrams, including the New Georgia Project, the New Georgia Action Fund, and Power Forward Communities, after a state ethics settlement and a federal grant announcement raised questions about campaign finance law and nonprofit oversight. The committee keeps its existing members and officers, but gains authority to administer oaths, subpoena witnesses, demand documents, take depositions, and enforce subpoenas for this new subject matter. It operates under the same rules and meeting procedures set out in Senate Resolution 5. Funding comes from money already appropriated to the Senate. Any findings or recommended legislation must be approved by committee majority vote before being filed with the Secretary of the Senate. ### What it does - Expands the Senate Special Committee on Investigations' mission, created under Senate Resolution 5, to include organizations connected to Stacey Abrams. - Keeps the committee's existing members and officers from Senate Resolution 5 in place for the expanded work. - Grants the committee power to administer oaths, subpoena witnesses and documents, and take depositions on the new subject matter. - Authorizes the committee to take enforcement action against witnesses who refuse to comply with its subpoenas. - Directs that funding for the expanded investigation come from money already appropriated to the Senate. - Requires any committee report with legislative or budget recommendations to be approved by majority vote before filing with the Secretary of the Senate. ### Who it affects The resolution directly affects the Senate Special Committee on Investigations and its members, plus the New Georgia Project, the New Georgia Action Fund, Power Forward Communities, and any individuals or organizations the committee subpoenas for testimony or records related to Stacey Abrams' associated groups. ### Why it matters The expanded committee can now compel testimony and documents from nonprofit organizations and individuals tied to campaign finance activity in Georgia, potentially leading to proposed changes in state ethics and campaign finance laws or enforcement resources. ### Key provisions - Paragraph 1 authorizes the committee, originally formed by Senate Resolution 5, to investigate additional matters concerning organizations associated with Stacey Abrams. - Paragraph 2 keeps the committee's current members and officers unchanged. - Paragraph 3 gives the committee power to administer oaths, subpoena witnesses and records, take depositions, and enforce subpoenas for the expanded investigation. - Paragraph 4 states the committee's rules and meetings continue to follow Senate Resolution 5's procedures. - Paragraph 5 specifies that funding for the expanded work comes from existing Senate appropriations. - Paragraph 6 sets requirements for filing committee reports, including majority vote approval and signature by the chairperson before submission to the Secretary of the Senate. ## Status - Status: Passed (2025-03-27) - Last action: Senate Passed/Adopted (2025-03-27) - Sponsors: Bill Cowsert, John Kennedy, Steve Gooch, Greg Dolezal, Jason Anavitarte, Randy Robertson, Blake Tillery, Brian Strickland - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/70929 > The history, votes, and amendments (434 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr292.md?full=1