Fact check: False claim that Stacey Abrams lobbied to move Music Midtown and MLB All-Star Game

Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY
·4 min read
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Stacey Abrams poses for a portrait in front of the State Seal of Georgia Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Decatur, Ga. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
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The claim: Stacey Abrams lobbied to move the MLB All-Star Game and Music Midtown

Incumbent Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is squaring off against Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams in November in the state's gubernatorial election. Kemp is a slight favorite to win, according to recent polling.

A viral Facebook post is criticizing Abrams for some of her purported past lobbying efforts.

"Never forget. Stacey Abrams lobbied to move the Allstars (sic) game and Music Midtown," reads the Oct. 3 Facebook post. "She cost Georgia 150 million plus. Not Kemp."

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The post generated over 4,300 shares in less than a week. Similar posts have amassed hundreds of interactions on Facebook.

But the claim is baseless.

The post is referencing Major League Baseball's decision to move its All-Star Game out of Georgia in 2021 and the cancelation of the Music Midtown festival in Atlanta in August. But, Abrams did not lobby to move or cancel either event.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the claim for comment.

Abrams had no tie to these events being moved, canceled

Abrams did not lobby to move the MLB All-Star Game or Music Midtown, Michael Holloman, Abrams' spokesperson, told USA TODAY.

USA TODAY found no credible news reports that suggest such lobbying occured. The decision to move the 2021 All-Star Game and cancel the 2022 Music Midtown festival was independent of Abrams.

MLB moved its 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta to protest voting bills Georgia passed that disproportionately affected citizens of color, as USA TODAY previously reported.

Two days before the organization’s decision, Abrams wrote an op-ed for USA TODAY in which she urged corporations to do business in Georgia and to speak out against the law.

“I again repeat my admonition from 2019 that leaving us behind won’t save us,” Abrams wrote. “Bring your business to Georgia and, if you’re already here, stay and fight. Stay and vote.”

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The game was eventually played in Denver, which Abrams expressed disappointment about. Officials in Atlanta estimated the move cost the state over $100 million in lost business.

When contacted for comment, MLB referred USA TODAY to a 2021 CNN fact check debunking the claim that Abrams endorsed the boycott.

There is also no evidence that Abrams was involved in Music Midtown's cancellation. Organizers announced in August that this year's festival was canceled due to circumstances "beyond our control," as USA TODAY reported. News outlets have also cited legal fallout related to Georgia's gun laws as a possible factor for its cancellation.

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Abrams lamented the festival cancellation in an Aug. 1 press release.

"In dire economic times for so many Georgians, this cancellation will cost Georgia’s economy a proven $50 million," she wrote. "This means that small businesses and workers who rely on events like Music Midtown and their tremendous economic impact have now lost incomes that help put food on the table and a roof over their heads."

Live Nation, the entertainment company that promotes Music Midtown, did not respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.

Factcheck.org and the Associated Press also debunked this claim.

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that Abrams lobbied to move the MLB All-Star Game and Music Midtown. There is no evidence she did so. Abrams expressed disappointment at the moving of the game and the cancellation of the festival.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: False claim Stacey Abrams tried to move Atlanta events