Georgia ethics commission fines Frontline Policy over lobbying, disclosure violations

State ethics officials say one of Georgia’s most influential conservative advocacy organizations violated lobbying and campaign finance laws, resulting in $17,500 in civil penalties.

The Georgia Recorder reports that The Georgia State Ethics Commission determined that Frontline Policy’s advocacy arm failed to properly register for lobbying activities and did not submit required reports disclosing more than $380,000 in political contributions during the 2024 election cycle.

Commission Executive Director David Emadi said the penalties rank among the largest the agency has issued for lobbying-related violations. He also said repeat offenses could eventually lead to more serious consequences, including the suspension of an organization’s ability to lobby lawmakers.

The case originated from a complaint filed by attorney Bryan Sells, who accused Frontline of several ethics violations, including improper campaign coordination, missing advertising disclosures and incomplete reporting. After its investigation, the commission concluded that only the allegations involving campaign finance reports from the 2024 election cycle and lobbying registration were supported by the evidence.

A June 24 consent order assessed a $10,000 fine after investigators found Frontline failed to report more than $380,000 in contributions. A separate consent order imposed another $7,500 penalty after the commission identified 24 instances in which Frontline Policy Action conducted lobbying activities without registering.

According to ethics officials, Frontline Policy Action had no registered lobbyists during 2023 or 2024 despite sending mass emails and publishing social media posts urging supporters to contact state legislators. Commissioners determined those communications qualified as lobbying under Georgia law.

Sells said the outcome was less about punishing an organization than ensuring transparency in Georgia politics. He argued that voters have a right to know how advocacy groups raise and spend money while attempting to influence elected officials.

Frontline founder and president Cole Muzio said the organization disagrees with any suggestion of intentional misconduct. In a statement, he characterized the reporting issues as clerical mistakes that have since been corrected and said Frontline remains committed to complying with state ethics laws.

Frontline, founded in 2021, describes itself as a Christian ministry and conservative public policy organization. The group has supported several high-profile measures at the Georgia Capitol, including legislation restricting transgender girls from participating in girls’ school sports, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and Georgia’s private school voucher program.

According to the Georgia Recorder, the organization has faced ethics sanctions before. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Frontline was previously fined more than $4,000 for separate lobbying law violations.