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Administrative judge orders $17,250 against Atlanta commissioner in campaign‑finance ruling; commission reports decision final
Summary
An administrative law judge found Fulton County Commissioner Kadesha Abdulrahman violated multiple campaign‑finance rules and ordered $17,250 in civil penalties to be paid from personal funds; the commission said the decision became final after the 30‑day administrative period.
An administrative law judge has ordered Fulton County Commissioner Kadesha Abdulrahman to pay $17,250 in civil penalties after finding multiple violations of the Campaign Finance Act, the commission reported at its Dec. 13 meeting.
Background and findings: The Office of State Administrative Hearings (OSAH) heard the matter following a commission preliminary‑hearing referral. The administrative judge found that the respondent failed to timely file multiple election‑year CCDRs (six reports), failed to file two non‑election CCDRs, accepted pre‑DOI contributions totaling $2,730.83, failed to disclose 21 campaign expenditures each exceeding $100, and used campaign funds 39 times for purposes other than ordinary and necessary campaign expenses. The judge also found failures to disclose repayment of a $15,000 loan and unreported contributions totaling $1,142.50 and approximately $40,000 between May 2019 and October 2020, according to staff’s summary of the decision.
Sanction and collection: The administrative decision assessed $17,250 in civil penalties and specifically ordered that those penalties be paid from the respondent’s personal funds, not campaign funds. Commission staff said the OSAH decision was filed Sept. 23, 2024; because the commission did not take action within the 30‑day administrative period, the decision became final and enforceable.
Why this matters: The judge’s findings described apparent co‑mingling of campaign and personal funds and significant unreported activity, which the judge said increased the risk that penalties must be collected from personal resources rather than campaign funds. Staff said the commission will coordinate with the attorney general to pursue garnishment or other collection steps if necessary.
Next steps: Staff told commissioners they have alerted the attorney general’s office and will pursue collection options if the respondent does not make payment under the terms set by OSAH.
