The Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis faced scrutiny for her use of funds at a Georgia state Senate Special Committee hearing. Senator Bill Cowsert questioned the financial officers about extra money requests made by Willis, including a million-dollar request in 2023 for general trial expenses. Fulton County Chief Financial Officer Sharon Whitmore explained that the amount was a lump sum without specific details about how it would be utilized, raising concerns about oversight in the office, particularly regarding employment practices and expenditures for independent contractors like Nathan Wade, who Willis hired as a prosecutor in a high-profile election fraud case against Donald Trump.
Cowsert criticized Willis for spending significant resources on prosecuting the Trump case instead of addressing the county’s criminal case backlog. The committee also questioned Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts about whether the county approved of Willis hiring Wade. Pitts stated that such decisions are solely the prerogative of the District Attorney and are not within the county’s purview. Whitmore testified that the county commission reviews and approves the district attorney’s annual general fund budget request but does not have oversight over specific expenditures or hiring decisions.
Willis received $36.6 million from the general fund for the current fiscal year, in addition to additional federal funding for pandemic relief. Whitmore noted that Willis did not seek prior approval from the commission before using those funds to hire Wade and other special prosecutors for the election interference case. Despite the lack of oversight from the county commission, Willis maintained that her office had followed all procedures in accordance with the law. During the hearing, the committee was expected to investigate the timeline of Willis and Wade’s relationship and the use of campaign funds.
The investigation findings from the committee will inform legislative actions, potentially leading to the enactment of laws to ensure more accountability and oversight of the District Attorney’s office. Both Willis and Wade have acknowledged having a romantic relationship but maintained that it only became official in 2022 after they had initiated the case against the former president. The situation highlights concerns about transparency, proper use of funds, and ethical considerations in the operation of the District Attorney’s office. The case involving Willis and Wade has raised questions about potential conflicts of interest and the need for clearer guidelines on relationships within the office and their impact on legal proceedings.
