Stacey Abrams' failed gubernatorial bid is 'not the last' we'll hear from her: Beverly Hallberg
Independent Women's Forum fellow Beverly Hallberg weighs in on allegations that the FBI is working with Meta to censor information and predicts what lies ahead in Stacey Abrams' political career.
Democrat Stacey Abrams, who raised more than $100 million in her second failed attempt to become governor of Georgia, seems to have left more than a few disgruntled staffers in her wake.
Multiple staffers told Axios that they stopped receiving pay one week after Abrams lost to Gov. Brian Kemp, R., with some staffers telling the outlet that they were struggling to even make rent on time.
"People have told me they have no idea how they’re going to pay their rent in January," one former staffer told Axios. "It was more than unfortunate. It was messed up."
Axios reported that "money became so tight that most of the 180 full-time staffers were given an abrupt paycheck cutoff date — just a week after the November election."
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Stacey Abrams speaks during a campaign event in Reynolds, Georgia, on June 4, 2022. Abrams lost her second bid for governor in November. (Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Another former Abrams staffer told Axios that they were banking on some portion of the $100 million campaign treasury being able to pay their salaries, saying, "I figured, $100 million? They should be able to pay me until December."
But even that eye-popping fundraising amount wasn’t enough to keep the Abrams campaign from going into debt. Campaign manager Lauren Groh-Wargo confirmed to Axios that it still owes more than $1 million to vendors. She blamed "negative press and negative polling" for causing fundraising to dry up in the final months of the campaign.
"We did not just lose, we got blown out," Groh-Wargo said. "It was the most sub-optimal situation to be in. And we will be dealing with that situation for some time."
She stipulated the campaign provided insurance benefits through November and worked to place affected staffers in other jobs after the race. Although the rematch of their 2018 campaign received national attention and favorable press for Abrams, Kemp led Abrams in polling throughout the race and cruised to victory.
The report led to Abrams and her team getting heat on Twitter.
"She raised more than $100 million and still managed to end up in debt - after losing by 7.5 points!" RealClearPolitics president Tom Bevan tweeted.
Axios reporter Lachlan Markay summed up Abrams campaign’s money troubles on Twitter: "Stacey Abrams' lavishly funded campaign ended in serious debt and quickly cut off paychecks to staffers."
National Journal's Matt Holt argued that Axios was engaging in "remarkable spin… considering they raised more than $100 million."
Officials for losing Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker claimed to Axios that they would pay campaign staff through December.
"Gov. Brian Kemp’s campaign staff was paid through November, plus bonuses. Staff for both Herschel Walker and Sen. Raphael Warnock are being paid through December — all according to campaign officials," Axios reported.
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Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp defeated Stacey Abrams for the second time in a rematch of their 2018 campaign. (AP )
Abrams has not tweeted from her official account in almost a week, sharing on Dec. 14 that she is "teaming up to produce a music documentary for Discovery+" with pop star Selena Gomez.