Fani Willis Investigated by Republican Senators Over Alleged Misuse of Federal Funds
The 2 Republican senators mentioned they need her to supply paperwork by later this month.
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) mentioned they’re investigating whether or not Fulton County District Lawyer Fani Willis misused federal funds, in keeping with a latest letter.
The 2 Republican senators made reference to a number of public experiences that claimed Ms. Willis’ workplace, which at the moment has a case towards former President Donald Trump, is squandering federal funds, together with for a Division of Justice juveniles program for unrelated journey and frivolous purchases, their letter mentioned.
Their letter cited claims from a former Fulton County District Lawyer worker, who was later allegedly fired, that have been revealed in a Washington Free Beacon article earlier this 12 months. “The waste or misuse of taxpayer funds is unacceptable,” the Republican senators wrote.
In one other occasion, the district legal professional’s workplace reported obtained $2 million in federal funds from a Sexual Assault Equipment Initiative however spent a lot of it on journey and different bills over three years, in keeping with their letter.
“The obvious and important discrepancy between the aim of the federal award of taxpayer cash and the precise use of that cash raises alarms that it hasn’t been used as Congress meant,” they wrote.
Home Judiciary Chairman Additionally investigating
Ms. Willis can be being investigated by Home Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) underneath comparable pretenses. The lawmaker has despatched a number of letters to her this 12 months, asking Ms. Willis to conform, and threatened to carry her in contempt of Congress in March.
In a press release later that month, Ms. Willis mentioned in a letter again to Mr. Jordan that she “categorically reject[s] the assertion that this workplace is poor in responding to the Committee’s subpoena dated February.” She described his calls for of her workplace as “unreasonable and uncustomary.”
“As you notice in your letter, we now have already supplied you with substantial details about our packages which are funded through federal grants. Additional, as I expressed to you in my letter dated February 23, 2024, this workplace is within the course of of manufacturing related paperwork to you on a rolling foundation and is endeavor a very good religion strategy to offer you responsive details about our federal grant funding,” the letter continued.
“To begin with, I don’t suppose they even have the authority to subpoena me, however they should be taught the legislation,” Ms. Willis mentioned, suggesting that she believes the investigation goes towards the legislation.
“I cannot seem to something that’s illegal, and I’ve not damaged the legislation,” she continued. “I’ve mentioned it amongst these leaders, I’m sorry of us get [angry] that everyone will get handled equally.”
That prompted a response final week from Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a Republican, who wrote on social media that “if subpoenaed by the Committee, [Ms. Willis] will likely be required to seem or she will likely be in violation of Georgia legislation.”
“That is what treating everyone evenly appears to be like like, even when DA Willis doesn’t like being held accountable,” he mentioned.
It comes as Georgia’s appeals courtroom on Could 8 agreed to take up an enchantment filed by former President Trump’s and different co-defendants within the alleged election interference case introduced by Ms. Willis’ workplace. His attorneys are in search of to disqualify her over allegations surrounding her relationship together with her former particular prosecutor, Nathan Wade, who resigned in March after a decide ordered it.
Late final week, President Trump’s attorneys filed a discover to a Fulton County courtroom that they’ll enchantment the decide’s order that allowed her to stay on the case.
These allegations towards Ms. Willis, that are separate from those which are being foisted by the Republican senators, first surfaced in a movement filed in early January by a Trump co-defendant. It claimed that Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade each financially benefitted from their relationship, which the 2 each denied throughout a courtroom listening to earlier this 12 months.
The 2 have maintained that their relationship didn’t begin till spring 2022, or a number of months after Mr. Wade was employed within the Trump case. Their romance, they added, additionally ended in the summertime of 2023.
For the Trump case in Fulton County, there’s at the moment no trial date set.