An Ethics Watchdog Criticized Stacey Abrams. His Boss Retracted It.

Craig Holman, a campaign finance and ethics expert, has long talked to reporters about issues of money, politics and conflicts of interest. His tart quotes often waft into the digital ether without further notice.

That changed last week, when he criticized Fair Fight Action, a politically powerful voting rights group, and its founder, Stacey Abrams, who happens to be running for governor of Georgia. Mr. Holman’s boss took notice.

The comments came after Politico reported that Fair Fight Action had spent more than $22 million in 2019 and 2020, much of it on a largely unsuccessful voting rights lawsuit charging that Georgia’s elections process had “serious and unconstitutional flaws.” The largest chunk of fees — $9.4 million — went to a law firm run by the campaign chairwoman for Ms. Abrams, Allegra Lawrence-Hardy.

The Abrams campaign, Fair Fight Action and Ms. Lawrence-Hardy denied a conflict of interest.

But Politico asked Mr. Holman, who works for Public Citizen, an advocacy group founded by Ralph Nader, about this arrangement.