In the latest bid by Georgia Senate Republicans to investigate Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis in response to her indictment of former President Donald Trump, a Forsyth County lawmaker filed legislation Monday to create a special panel to look into the prosecutor.
The legislation, filed by Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming, cites accusations that Willis is in an “improper” relationship with Nathan Wade, who she hired to help lead the investigation into efforts by Trump and his now co-defendants to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The accusations against the district attorney stem from divorce filings by Wade’s estranged wife.
Dolezal’s legislation would create a Senate Special Committee on Investigations that would have the ability to subpoena people and evidence, and require that testimony be given under oath. No other legislative committees require that witnesses testify under oath. Under the measure, if the committee finds there has been misconduct, it can recommend changes to the state law or budget.
“The multitude of accusations surrounding Ms. Willis, spanning from allegations of prosecutorial misconduct to questions about the use of public funds and accusations of an unprofessional relationship, underscores the urgency for a thorough and impartial examination,” Dolezal said in a statement. “We owe it to the public to ensure transparency, accountability and the preservation of the integrity of our justice system.”
An attorney for Wade’s estranged wife last week produced some of Wade’s credit card statements showing that he purchased airline tickets for himself and Willis for trips to San Francisco, Miami and Aruba in 2022 and 2023.
An attorney for Trump co-defendant Mike Roman made the allegations about Willis and Wade in a court filing earlier this month.
“Such relationship, if proven to exist, would constitute a clear conflict of interest and a fraud upon the taxpayers of Fulton County and the State of Georgia,” Dolezal’s resolution states.
State Sen. Colton Moore, a Trenton Republican who in September berated his colleagues for not supporting his calls for a special legislative session to investigate Willis, said his prayers had been answered.
“We have a solution to investigate Fani Willis,” he said. “And if you don’t mind just telling your readers: I told you so.”
The bill is the latest attempt by Senate Republicans to investigate or discipline Willis. During the summer, Republican senators created a panel that was tasked with investigating overcrowding, a backlog of cases and dangerous conditions at the Fulton County Jail — though they said the subcommittee had nothing to do with politics or Willis.
Willis’ opponents have accused the district attorney of focusing too much attention on the Trump investigation instead of moving criminal cases through initial hearings that could ease overcrowding in the jail.
Last year, lawmakers created a Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission that was empowered to sanction prosecutors. The law was challenged in court, and the state Supreme Court said it had “grave doubts” about whether it had the constitutional authority to approve rules for the commission, a step required by the law.
Republican-led efforts have been occurring nationwide to exert more control over liberal prosecutors they accuse of neglecting their duties because they refuse to enforce low-level drug offenses, anti-abortion restrictions and tough-on-crime crackdowns.
The battle over the commission is being closely watched partly because Trump’s allies aim to use the new law to punish Willis for seeking election interference charges against the former president and more than a dozen others.
On Monday the House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee passed legislation that removed the directive that the Supreme Court review the commission’s rules in hopes of getting the panel moving.
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