Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is facing a series of legal and political challenges this week, as her office continues to be mired in scandal as they pursue the high-profile case against former President Donald Trump and his allies.
On Wednesday, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura L. Ingram denied Willis’ attempt to quash a subpoena from the Georgia Senate Special Committee on Investigations.
The committee seeks Willis’ testimony regarding her office’s investigation into 2020 election interference and her relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Judge Ingram ruled that Willis’ emergency motion was no longer relevant, as the requested appearance date had passed. However, the judge left the door open for Willis to file a motion when the committee moves to enforce the subpoena.
Adding to Willis’ mounting legal woes, defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant filed a motion for contempt of court against the District Attorney on Wednesday evening.
Merchant, who represents one of Trump’s co-defendants, is demanding Willis’ appear in person at a hearing scheduled for Thursday morning related to an open records lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed in January, accuses Willis’ office of violating Georgia’s Open Records Act by failing to provide requested documents involving her former lover, Nathan Wade. Willis’ office contends it is not covered by open records requests under state law.
Merchant’s motion alleges that Willis is in Los Angeles attending a reelection campaign fundraiser instead of preparing for the hearing.
“She is simply flouting this Court’s lawful process, apparently intent on playing a game of chicken with the Court,” Merchant wrote in the filing.
These legal battles follow a contentious period for Willis, who faced allegations of an inappropriate relationship with Wade earlier this year.
While Judge Scott McAfee did not remove Willis from the Trump case, he ruled that either Willis or Wade must step aside. Wade subsequently resigned from the case.
Willis has maintained her innocence throughout these controversies.
“I will not appear to anything that is unlawful, and I have not broken the law,” she told FOX 5’s Rob DiRienzo. “I’m sorry folks get pissed off that everybody gets treated equally.”
As these legal battles unfold, Willis’ office continues to pursue the RICO case against Trump and his co-defendants.
Willis’ mounting legal woes and ongoing challenges, however, have cast a shadow over the prosecution and raised questions about its future direction.
Willis faces Republican challenger Courtney Kramer in the November general election.