BREAKING: Fani Willis Ethics Complaint “Deeply Troubling,” Says Georgia Gov. Kemp
Will Georgia’s governor support an investigation in Fulton County?
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp may be reconsidering his views on investigating Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over alleged ethics violations, saying the recent allegations are “deeply troubling.”
“These allegations are deeply troubling, and evidence should be presented quickly in order for Judge McAfee to rule and the public to have confidence in this trial moving forward,” Kemp told Restoration News.
On Jan. 8, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) alleged that Willis and her special prosecutor Nathan Wade used taxpayer money to fund private vacations. Lawmakers are once again calling on Kemp to investigate Willis, after he previously dismissed calls for a special session in August.
At the time, Republican lawmakers called for an impeachment hearing, but Kemp refused, saying “we are going to follow the law and the Constitution regardless of who it helps politically.”
Kemp aligned the calls for the special session with that of “political theater,” as he did not believe Republicans had the proper evidence to prosecute at the time.
“In Georgia, we will not be engaging in political theater that only inflames the emotions of the moment. We will do what is right. We will uphold our oath to public service. And it is my belief that our state will be better off for it,” Kemp continued.
Following recent revelations by the AJC and Michael Roman, one of former President Donald Trump’s co-defendants, the tide may be turning.
Roman first made the claim that Willis and Wade had “an improper, clandestine personal relationship,” in a 39-page court filing that sought a dismissal of charges. Roman further accused the two prosecutors of traveling to Napa Valley and being seen together in a personal nature in Atlanta.
“The district attorney chose to appoint her romantic partner, who at all times relevant to this prosecution has been a married man,” attorney Ashleigh Merchant wrote.
The AJC alleges that Wade is one of the highest paid prosecutors in Georgia. His law office has received nearly $645,000 in payments from the Fulton County District Attorney’s office since January 2022, according to county records. The same payments were allegedly used for Willis and Wade’s personal vacations.
It now seems Kemp finds the new allegations by the AJC “deeply troubling,” and could investigate if the proper evidence is presented. If the evidence is presented and Kemp chooses to investigate, Willis would be subject to the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Panel.
Kemp implemented the panel in May 2023 as an oversight mechanism to supervise the constitutional and statutory duties of district attorneys. The creation of the commission was authorized by Senate Bill 92.
“The creation of the PACQ will help hold prosecutors driven by out-of-touch politics rather than commitment to their responsibilities accountable and make our communities safer,” Kemp said at the time.
Based on the allegations, Willis is a clear candidate for a commission investigation.
Former President Donald Trump commented on the allegations Wednesday, saying the case is “totally compromised.”
“You had a very big event yesterday as you saw in Georgia where the district attorney is totally compromised. The case has to be dropped,” he told reporters. “It’s illegal. What she did is illegal. So we’ll let the state handle that, but what a sad situation it is.”
Willis did not respond to the allegations, but a spokesperson said the DA’s office will respond to allegations “through appropriate court filings.”
