by Katelynn Richardson
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis defied a subpoena Friday issued by a Georgia state senate committee investigating her alleged misconduct.
Rather than testify before the committee, Willis is scheduled to attend the annual legislative conference for the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, D.C. An agenda for the Georgia Senate Special Committee on Investigations hearing stated Willis would provide “sworn testimony,” but state Republican Sen. Bill Cowsert began the meeting by announcing Willis would not appear.
“I’m truly honored to be invited to join a panel discussion alongside Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee and Dr. Frederick Haynes, III,” Willis wrote Thursday night on LinkedIn. “This conversation will be hosted by the incomparable Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and moderated by the brilliant Angela Rye, during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference.”
Willis is expected to fight the subpoena in court, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“First of all, I don’t even think they have the authority to subpoena me, but they need to learn the law,” Willis said in May, according to Atlanta News First. “I will not appear to anything that is unlawful, and I have not broken the law in any way. I’m sorry folks get pissed off that everybody gets treated evenly.”
Sooo many of you may not know that this is the week of our annual legislative conference for the Congressional Black Caucus! You are all invited to join us. IT WILL BE AMAZING!
While we won’t be discussing the Shay Shay drama, we will have a truly enlightening conversation. pic.twitter.com/ligO0llzv5
— Jasmine Crockett (@JasmineForUS) September 12, 2024
Cowsert told Fox News Friday that the committee does “have the authority to investigate and to issue subpoenas to compel testimony and the production of documents, and if tested in court, that will be validated.”
“She’ll be required to attend, and she’ll be required to produce certain requested documents,” Cowsert said. “It may require a court order for her to obey them, but that’s where we’re headed.”
Judge Scott McAfee allowed Willis to remain on her racketeering case against former President Donald Trump in March after defendants alleged she financially benefited from appointing a special prosecutor who she was in a relationship with, Nathan Wade. McAfee did find “a significant appearance of impropriety” in the pair’s relationship and said there were “reasonable questions” about whether they testified truthfully about its timing.
Since defendants appealed McAfee’s ruling, the case is now on hold while the Georgia Court of Appeals weighs the issue.
Willis awarded Wade a higher paying contract than the state’s top racketeering expert, the Daily Caller News Foundation previously reported.
McAfee tossed three counts in Willis’ indictment Thursday, including two against Trump.
Willis’ office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
– – –
Katelynn Richardson is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation.
Photo “Fani Willis” by Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.
