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The GOP-controlled Georgia Senate on Friday voted to form a new committee to investigate Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis after damning allegations of an alleged affair with a special prosecutor she hired arose, along with claims she may have misused public funds to pursue a case against former President Donald Trump.
“A resolution senators passed 30-19 along party lines will create a special committee with subpoena power to probe the allegations against Willis, who obtained an indictment last August accusing Trump and 18 others of trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia that saw Democrat Joe Biden carry the Peach State” over Trump, the Macon-based Telegraph newspaper reported in online editions.
Earlier this month, allegations against Willis emerged in a motion submitted to the Fulton County Superior Court on behalf of Michael Roman, one of the defendants in the case. Willis has not directly responded to the charges yet but is expected to submit a response to the court by the February 2 deadline.
On Friday, Senate Republicans stated that probing Willis’ supposed inappropriate connection with special prosecutor Nathan Wade is within the purview of Georgia lawmakers. They justified it by noting that Wade has received almost $654,000 in legal fees via public taxpayer funds to pursue the case since January 2022.
“I am deeply troubled by the poor judgment of our D.A., Fani Willis,” state Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, told his colleagues on the Senate floor before Friday’s vote, the outlet reported. “I believe this scheme … was a fraud against the court and a fraud against the taxpayer.”
“This resolution is about an officer of the state of Georgia … and how they are using state funds,” Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, the measure’s chief sponsor, said. “This falls squarely within what we should be talking about and what we should be addressing.”
The committee will consist of nine members, three of whom must be Democrats.
The judge presiding over her case against Trump has ordered an investigation into her alleged misconduct, The Washington Post reported earlier this week.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said that Willis has until Feb. 2. To respond to the accusations.
This could force the district attorney to have to address the issue in televised court proceedings which could derail her case against Trump and his codefendants and could do significant damage to her political career.
Willis has also filed a motion to block a subpoena that could have her testifying in the divorce case of the prosecutor she is alleged to have had an affair with, Nathan Wade.
On Sunday, Willis appeared to address the issue in a speech she gave in a historically black church.
“God, why would you send this imperfect and very flawed person up to that position?” she said at the Big Bethel AME Church. “God, you did not tell me my home would be swept multiple times for bombs or that most days and nights that I would spend them in isolation because that was the safest place to be. You forgot to mention, Lord, that I would have to abandon my home. You forgot to mention the loneliness of this position. And you certainly didn’t tell me about the stress.”
She then appeared to play both the race and gender cards as if that was the reason she was facing scrutiny.
“I appointed three special counsel, which is my right to do. Paid them all the same hourly rate. They only attack one,” she said.
A spokesperson for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) said he was disturbed by the allegations.
“These allegations are deeply troubling, and evidence should be presented quickly,” the spokesperson said. “Georgians must have confidence in our legal system and its procedures, and these allegations — in addition to the lack of direct response from District Attorney Willis — jeopardize that confidence.”
