Embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis indicated Monday that she will refuse to testify before the Georgia state Senate Special Committee investigating whether she misused taxpayer money during her relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
“First of all, I don’t think they even have the authority to subpoena me, but they need to learn the law,” Willis said of the Republican-led probe during a press conference.
“I will not appear to anything that is unlawful, and I have not broken the law in any way,” the district attorney continued.
“I’m sorry folks get pissed off that everybody gets treated evenly,” she added.
The special investigation panel held its third public hearing last week, which delved into the amount of money Willis’ office has spent prosecuting the historic racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants and the lack of oversight other government entities have over the district attorney’s office.
The committee has already issued a subpoena for the testimony of Trump co-defendant Michael Roman’s defense attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, who first brought the allegations of an “improper” and “clandestine” relationship between Willis and Wade to light in January.
Republican state Sen. Bill Cowsert, the chairman of the special committee, has said that he will compel Willis to provide testimony if she doesn’t come in voluntarily.
“I sure hope it doesn’t get to that,” Cowsert told FOX 5, threatening to hold Willis in contempt if she flouts a future subpoena.
“If subpoenaed by the Committee, she will be required to appear, or she will be in violation of Georgia law,” Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones told the outlet.
“This is what treating everybody evenly looks like, even if DA Willis doesn’t like being held accountable,” he added.
Wade resigned from the Trump case in March after Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee issued an ultimatum, forcing either him or Willis to step aside in order for the case to move forward.
Both Willis and Wade have admitted to a love affair but both insisted under oath the relationship only became official in 2022 after they had already brought the case against the former president and his co-defendants.
Willis’ office reportedly paid Wade $654,000 in 2022 as part of his work on the election interference case.
The findings of the state Senate investigation will inform legislative actions, including possibly enacting laws to ensure more accountability and oversight of the DA’s office, according to the Georgia Senate.
