Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen on Monday called for those who received political contributions from a Georgia man accused of running a $140 million Ponzi scheme to return them.
At least three elected Alabama Republican officials over the last four years received contributions from Edwin Brant Frost IV, an investor whose family is influential in the Georgia Republican Party, and his investment entities, which have been accused of raising funds through fraudulent means.
“I take allegations of financial fraud seriously, especially when that fraud bleeds into campaign finance. I encourage any Alabamians who have been involved to cooperate fully with law enforcement, including the SEC and our Alabama Securities Commission, to ensure that the victims who have been misled may be made whole,” Allen said.
The Alabama Secretary of State’s Office oversees campaign finance reporting but does not have the power to investigate or prosecute alleged violations of the law or compel the return of contributions.
A lawsuit filed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on July 10 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia alleged that Frost and his associated investment firms raised at least $140 million between 2014 and 2025 through fraudulent means. The lawsuit further alleges that Frost used $570,000 of the misappropriated money for political donations.
According to campaign finance records, Frost, members of his family or his businesses made at least $132,000 in contributions to Alabama politicians and political action committees (PACs).
Former Rep. Andrew Sorrell, R-Muscle Shoals, now the Alabama state auditor and a candidate for Secretary of State; Rep. Ben Harrison, R-Elkmont; and Alabama State Board of Education member Allen Long were among the Alabama politicians who accepted contributions either from Frost or one of his various investment firms.
Sorrell and his PAC, Alabama Christian Citizens, collectively received at least $71,000 in contributions from the Frost family and their investment entities. Hours after being contacted for a comment, he claimed in a written statement that he was among the 300 people who fell victim to the scheme.
According to campaign finance records, Alabama Christian Citizens, Sorrell’s PAC, made a loan of $29,000 to First Liberty Building & Loan, one of Frost’s companies, in April 2024. According to Alabama election law, a PAC may issue a loan for “the purpose of influencing the result of an election.”
Sorrell, as well as Harrison, who received over $21,000 in donations from Brant in 2022, stated that they would make efforts to return the funds in their statements last week.
Long, a conservative member of the Alabama State Board of Education who received a $40,000 donation from First National Investments in December 2023, an unusually high amount in ALBOE campaigns, did not return a request for comment last week. Another message was left on Monday.
Other recipients of Frost’s political contributions include Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who last received a donation from Frost in 2019, according to campaign finance records in that state; Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican from Colorado.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
