Fair Fight Action, the voting rights group founded by Stacey Abrams, will lay off 75% of its staff amid restructuring while facing financial problems after two "vital" lawsuits.
“We had the moral obligation to field these suits on behalf of voters," Fair Fight Action Board Chair Salena Jegede said in a statement to The Washington Post. "However, due to the complex nature of litigation, the organization unfortunately faces a serious funding deficit that makes our current trajectory unsustainable."
Cianti Stewart-Reid resigned as the organization's executive director, with Lauren Groh-Wargo to return as interim CEO, Jegede said.
Groh-Wargo, one of the group's co-founders, stepped down in 2022 to manage Abrams' second unsuccessful gubernatorial run in Georgia.
Jegede confirmed to The New York Times that Fair Fight plans to lay off 20 people, or about 75% of its staff, and said the group is $2.5 million in debt with just $1.9 million cash on hand.
Abrams launched Fair Fight in 2018 when she lost her first race for governor. By the 2022 elections, she had expanded the multimillion dollar organization into multiple states. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in 2021 that Fair Fight brought in more than $100 million since its founding.
Abrams, who no longer has a role in the organization, said on social media Wednesday that she is "saddened" by the layoffs.
"Fighters for democracy face tough challenges; and I am saddened for all the @fairfightaction warriors impacted by staff cuts," Abrams wrote on X. "Because of your hard work, we have valiantly led the charge. Thank you to the amazing crew that has made FF such a critical voice — we will get good done."
Politico reported that Fair Fight Action spent more than $25 million on legal fees from 2021 to 2022, mainly on a single case.
Last year, the organization, after losing a voting rights case, was ordered to repay Georgia $231,000 to cover the state's legal fees.
Jegede said in her statement that the group is restructuring its operating model so it can be "strongly positioned for the many battles ahead and that it plans to advocate for voters this year and beyond."