Fani Still Has to Face the Music: GA Judge Says She’s Subject to Lawmakers’ Subpoenas

She may have been disqualified from the Georgia election interference case involving President-elect Donald Trump by an appeals court earlier in December, but that ruling isn’t the end of the Fani Willis saga. Not only has she vowed to appeal that decision, but in addition to the court challenges to the Fulton County District Attorney’s continued involvement in the case due to conflicts of interest, the Georgia legislature has been investigating Willis’ involvement in the case to determine whether she engaged in misconduct. 

Now, a Fulton County Superior Court judge has ruled that Willis is subject to subpoena in relation to that investigation.

Even though #FaniWillis has been booted off her RICO case against ⁦@realDonaldTrump⁩ – she’s still has to answer to the GA legislature pic.twitter.com/PUtQRPS717

— Phil Holloway ✈️ (@PhilHollowayEsq) December 27, 2024

NEW: Fani Willis Was Just Officially Disqualified From the Prosecution of Donald Trump

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In a ruling issued Friday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram ruled that Willis can be subpoenaed but did allow for her to contest the scope of any such subpoenas.

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. – A judge has ruled that the Georgia state Senate can subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as part of an inquiry into whether she engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump but is giving Willis the chance to contest whether lawmakers’ demands are overly broad.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram filed the order Monday, telling Willis she has until Jan. 13 to submit arguments over whether the subpoenas seek legally shielded or confidential information. Ingram wrote that she would issue a final order later saying what Willis had to respond to.

…

The Republican-led Senate committee sent subpoenas to Willis in August seeking to compel her to testify during its September meeting and to produce scores of documents. The committee was formed earlier this year to examine allegations of “various forms of misconduct” by Willis, an elected Democrat, during her prosecution of Trump and others over their efforts to overturn the former president’s 2020 election loss in Georgia.

The resolution creating the committee focused in particular on Willis’ hiring of Wade to lead the prosecution against Trump and others. The resolution said the relationship amounted to a “clear conflict of interest and a fraud upon the taxpayers” of the county and state.

The ruling follows an ongoing battle of wills between Willis and the Republican-led Senate committee formed specifically to investigate her conduct. The committee initially subpoenaed Willis in August, but she challenged the committee’s authority to subpoena her and declined to appear for a September hearing. 

Attorney Files Contempt of Court Motion Against Fulton DA Fani Willis Ahead of Hearing

The committee asked the court to require Willis to comply with the subpoenas, asserting that her failure to do so has delayed their work. Now, with a new legislature being sworn in on January 13, that work may have to carry over to the new legislative term, which will require the re-establishment of the committee. But the Senate appears intent on pressing forward.

One wrinkle in the proceedings is that the current Georgia legislative term will end when lawmakers are sworn in for their new term on Jan. 13. However, Republican state Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming said last week that he will file legislation to reestablish the committee at the beginning of the 2025 legislative session.

“Despite our committee’s lawful subpoena, DA Willis has refused to testify,” Dolezal said in a statement. “This, coupled with troubling revelations of apparent violations of Georgia’s open records laws, paints a disturbing picture of an office operating as though it is above the law. This behavior undermines public trust and raises serious questions about the integrity of her office.”

Given her response up to this point, it’s a safe bet Willis will contest the scope of any subpoenas issued…and the saga will continue, even as her primary target, Donald Trump, takes the office her prosecution of him appeared aimed at forestalling. 

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