Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis could be in big, big trouble.
Willis, the lead prosecutor charging former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants with election interference, faced scrutiny over her misuse of funds during a Georgia state Senate Special Committee hearing on Friday.
And it could end up badly for Willis.
Republican Sen. Bill Cowsert questioned financial officers about numerous “enhancement requests” for extra money Willis has made, including a request for approximately one million dollars in 2023 for general trial expenses.
Fulton County Chief Financial Officer Sharon Whittmore revealed that the request was made as a “lump sum, not specific with line item details,” leaving the exact purpose of the funds unclear.
If it is discovered that Willis illegally misused these funds, she could be in serious legal trouble.
Cowsert expressed concern about the shoddy level of oversight in the district attorney’s office, and said that Willis’ record keeping for taxpayer-funded spending on independent contractors was “very loose.”
Cowsert’s comments referred to the controversial hiring of Nathan Wade using taxpayer dollars.
Willis hired Wade as a prosecutor in the county’s election fraud case against Trump in 2021. It was later revealed that Wade and Willis had been in a romantic relationship, leading a judge to rule that one of them had to step down from the case.
As a result, Wade resigned from his position.
During the meeting, Cowsert also criticized Willis for prioritizing the Trump case over addressing the county’s backlog of criminal cases. When asked whether the county had approved Willis’ hiring of Wade, Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts stated that it was “solely the prerogative of the District Attorney” and that the county commission does not get involved in such details.
Whittmore testified that the county commission reviews and votes on the district attorney’s annual general fund budget request, which amounted to $36.6 million for the current fiscal year. Additional funds were also received from the federal government in the form of pandemic relief. Willis did not seek prior approval from the commission before using these funds to hire Wade and two other special prosecutors for the election interference case.
Willis did not attend the hearing and dismissed the investigation at a press conference, stating, “They can look all they want. The DA’s office has done everything according to the books.” The special committee was expected to address the timing of Willis and Wade’s relationship and the use of campaign funds during the hearing.
The investigation’s findings could lead the Georgia Senate to pass laws to ensure more future accountability and oversight of the district attorney’s office.
The hearing highlighted the growing concerns surrounding Willis’ alleged mismanagement of funds and her office’s handling of the high-profile case against Trump and his associates.
The potential legal consequences for Willis and her office remain uncertain as the investigation continues.
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