Several Republican Georgia state senators filed a petition this week to ask a board to sanction Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis after she charged former President Donald Trump and 18 others with racketeering violations.
A law that was signed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp in May went into effect starting Oct. 1 that created the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission, which can sanction or remove district attorneys over a alleged misconduct or failure to follow state laws. The Republicans asked that board to look into Ms. Willis and see whether she should be sanctioned.
The complaint from eight Republican state lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch, claimed that Ms. Willis “improperly cherry-picked cases to further her personal political agenda” and wants the commission to investigate to take “appropriate measures” to sanction her.
“The integrity of our justice system is at stake, and the trust of the community in the District Attorney’s Office has been severely eroded,” said the complaint, according to local media reports.
The district attorney “has prioritized cases that align with her political party’s interests rather than focusing on the merits of each individual case. This selective prosecution raises concerns about fairness, impartiality, and the abuse of prosecutorial discretion,” the complaint also said.
Republican Sen. Clint Dixon confirmed the development to Atlanta’s 11Alive television, saying four members of the commission received the Republicans’ complaint.
“She’s not doing her job,” he told 11Alive Monday. “She’s just going after this political witch hunt to publicize and grow her leftist celebrity in my opinion.”
In a previous Twitter post, Mr. Dixon wrote that Ms. Willis should “be investigated through the appropriate process” and “should be focused on the 250 accused murderers in the Fulton jail, not political theater.” Speaking to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he also accused her of not focusing on “prosecuting those accused of murder, rape, and other crimes.”
But Gov. Kemp previously stated that he has seen no evidence suggesting that Ms. Willis should be sanctioned or removed due to the Trump case. It several weeks ago amid calls to possibly impeach the district attorney.
“We have a law in the State of Georgia that clearly outlines the legal steps that can be taken if constituents believe their local prosecutors are violating their oath by engaging in unethical or illegal behavior,” Mr. Kemp said during a news conference in late August. “Up to this point, I have not seen any evidence that DA Willis’ actions or lack thereof warrant action by the Prosecuting Attorney Oversight Commission. But, that will ultimately be a decision the commission will make.”
State Democrats, meanwhile, said that Republicans are attempting to subvert the rule of law with the recent complaint.
”Fani Willis is doing her job in upholding the rule of law. Trump and his 18 co-defendants were indicted by a grand jury for trying to overturn election results,” Democrat state Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In addition, Mr. Gooch, the Senate Republican leader in the state, told the newspaper that he is looking into other ways to target Ms. Willis, including legislative sessions that could investigate her use of public funding.
“This complaint is just one of the tools at our disposal,” Mr. Gooch said, “and we won’t relent until she feels the consequences of her misplaced priorities.”
In August, President Trump and 18 others were charged in a 41-count indictment that outlines an alleged scheme to overturn the Georgia election rules. All except for one defendant have pleaded not guilty in the case.
As for the former president, he has pleaded not guilty to the charges, including an alleged violation of Georgia’s anti-racketeering law. He has said that the charges in Georgia are part of a plan to interfere with the 2024 election and to wound him politically.
Several weeks ago, President Trump indicated in a court filing that he will not attempt to take his case to a federal court. His attorney expressed confidence n how Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee will handle the trial.
“President Trump now notifies the court that he will NOT be seeking to remove his case to federal court,” the notice stated. “This decision is based on his well-founded confidence that this honorable court intends to fully and completely protect his constitutional right to a fair trial and guarantee him due process of law throughout the prosecution of his case in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia.”
Other than President Trump, notable individuals who were charged in the Fulton County case include former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, lawyer Jena Ellis, and former federal prosecutor and attorney Sidney Powell, among others.
