Georgia House Democrats blocked a committee vote Tuesday that could clear the way for President Donald Trump and other defendants in the Fulton County election interference case to receive reimbursement for attorney fees.
A group of Democrats walked out of the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee hours into a marathon meeting, temporarily denying the quorum needed for a vote.
“We don’t have a quorum right now,” said Republican state Rep. Tyler Paul Smith, the committee’s chair, “so we’re going to come back to this.”
The measure is expected to receive another vote within days, but the maneuver was a rare show of force for Democrats to flex what little power they have in the Republican-controlled Legislature.
The bill’s sponsor, state Sen. Brandon Beach, is an Alpharetta Republican who was recently tapped by Trump to serve as United States treasurer.
Beach has made it clear his proposal was inspired by charges that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis leveled against Trump and other codefendants accused of trying to overturn his 2020 defeat in Georgia.
The overhaul would allow criminal defendants to recover attorneys fees if they successfully argue that a prosecutor should be disqualified for misconduct and the case is dismissed.
“It’s somewhat of a scarlet letter,” he said of what he described as politicized prosecutions. “It’s tough and it can ruin your life, and it can definitely cost you a lot of attorney fees to defend yourself.”
The walkout by Democrats came shortly after Republicans tacked Beach’s measure onto unrelated legislation that would give judges power to decide compensation for those wrongly convicted of crimes. Under current law, the Legislature is responsible for hashing out that compensation.
Several of the Democrats who walked out declined to comment. Paul Smith also didn’t immediately comment.
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