Fani Willis Under Pressure as Investigation Ramps Up
ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 01: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis looks on during a hearing in the case of the State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump at the Fulton County Courthouse on March 1, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. The hearing is to determine whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be removed from the case because of a relationship with Nathan Wade, special prosecutor she hired in the election interference case against former President Donald Trump. (Photo by Alex Slitz-Pool/Getty Images)
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is facing a continuing investigation by the Georgia state Senate amid ongoing concerns about her relationship with Nathan Wade.
A Georgia state Senate committee will reconvene on Friday to hear testimony about her hiring of Wade, a former special prosecutor in Donald Trump’s Georgia election interference case, according to Atlanta News First.
The committee will discuss the timing of Willis and Wade’s relationship and the use of campaign funds, the outlet said. It added that the committee will question Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts and Chief Financial Officer Sharon Whitmore about whether they signed off on Willis’ hiring of Wade.
Newsweek contacted Willis’ office by email for comment.
The Context
Willis is prosecuting Trump and 18 others accused of trying to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia. The Republican lost the state by roughly 12,000 votes.
But in the last few months, attention has turned away from Trump to Willis, who found herself embroiled in a scandal pertaining to a romantic relationship she had with Wade, a special prosecutor she hired in the case. It was argued that the relationship was improper and should disqualify Willis from continuing to lead the case. She was allowed to remain on the condition that Wade was removed and he resigned, but the decision to keep Willis on the case is being appealed.
What We Know
Earlier this year, Georgia state Senate Republicans established a special committee to “thoroughly investigate the allegations of misconduct” against Willis and her “potential conflicts of interest and misuse of public funds,” while threatening to “enact new or amend existing laws” targeting the district attorney. Friday’s hearing is part of the investigation.
Views
Bill Cowsert, a Republican member of the state Senate and the committee chairman, told Atlanta News First: “You lose the confidence of the public in the fairness of our criminal justice system if they think prosecutors are engaging in prosecution so their lovers can get rich. Our job’s not to go after any person but it is to make sure that this doesn’t happen again.”
What’s Next?
Willis is up for reelection this year and is facing her first challenge in the May 21 primary. Attorney Christian Wise Smith, who ran against her in 2020, is her only challenger. Despite the criticism she has faced, a new poll shows she has expanded her support since she was first elected.
Update 5/3/24, 9:39 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information and background.
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