Georgia Lawmakers Can Subpoena Fani Willis Over Trump Case

Georgia Lawmakers Can Subpoena Fani Willis Over Trump Case

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram ruled that Georgia state lawmakers can subpoena District Attorney Fani Willis over allegations of wrongdoing in the case against President-elect Donald Trump.

From Law & Crime:

In the order, Ingram reportedly highlighted that the Senate committee demanding the information from Willis had already told the prosecutor they were willing to seek a narrower scope of documents.

“Petitioner claims that the subpoenas are overbroad and seek privileged and/or confidential information,” Ingram wrote. “This may very well be true, but this Court needs more details on the basis for these objections from Petitioner before ruling on Respondents’ application for enforcement.”

The Associated Press reported that Ingram gave Willis “until Jan. 13 to submit arguments over whether the subpoenas seek legally shielded or confidential information.”

Ingram told Willis she “would issue a final order” after reading the arguments, including what the district attorney must answer regarding the subpoenas.

However, Willis’s office intends to ask the state Supreme Court to review Shukura’s decision.

I think you all know the fiasco around Trump’s case regarding Willis and former special prosecutor Nathan Wade after the defendants claimed conflict of interest since the two had a romantic relationship. The Georgia Senate wants answers, too:

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.

Barnes, Willis’ attorney, argued that the Senate committee did not have the power to subpoena her. He also argued that the subpoenas were overly broad and not related to a legitimate legislative need, saying the committee is seeking confidential and privileged information, as well as private and personal information.

In March, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said Wade or Willis had to step down from the case. Wade resigned from the case.

Wade and Willis claimed the relationship ended between February and April 2023.

But did it end?

In September, Willis brought Wade with her to the scene of her daughter’s arrest.

Earlier this month, the Court of Appeals of Georgia disqualified Willis from Trump’s case due to her relationship with Wade.

“The remedy crafted by the trial court to prevent an ongoing appearance of impropriety did nothing to address the appearance of impropriety that existed at times when DA Willis was exercising her broad pretrial discretion about who to prosecute and what charges to bring,” wrote the court.

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