The Georgia Senate Special Committee on Investigations, led by Republican state Sen. Bill Cowsert, conducted its fourth hearing to investigate allegations of misconduct and misuse of funds against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. One whistleblower, Amanda Timpson, testified that she was demoted and eventually fired after reporting the misuse of federal grant money in Willis’ office. Timpson also claimed that Nathan Wade, with whom Willis is alleged to have had an affair, was part of the interview panel for Willis’ incoming staff in 2020, despite not being hired until a year later to work on prosecuting a case against former President Trump. Cowsert expressed doubts about Willis’ claim that her relationship with Wade began after he was hired.
Ashleigh Merchant, a lawyer for a co-defendant in a case against former President Trump, testified that cell phone data showed Nathan Wade visited the condo Willis was renting multiple times late at night before he was hired. The geolocation data indicated that Wade would visit the condo late at night, followed by silence for several hours before he would return home. While the state argued that geolocation data is unreliable as evidence, Merchant pointed out that the same data is being used in another courtroom to prosecute someone else. Lawyers for Trump and co-defendants are appealing to have Willis disqualified from the case due to concerns about the relationship between her and Wade, leading to Wade’s resignation from the case in March.
A state judge ruled in March that Fani Willis could remain on the case against Trump only if Nathan Wade was removed. The judge expressed concerns about the appearance of impropriety surrounding the relationship between Willis and Wade and the credibility of their testimony. State lawmakers formed a special committee with subpoena power to investigate the Fulton County district attorney. Senator Cowsert praised Amanda Timpson’s testimony as credible and noted that she had faced retaliation after reporting the misuse of funds in Willis’ office. Timpson, who had hoped to retire from the DA’s office, spoke about the disappointment of having her dream job taken away from her.
Despite facing scrutiny, Fani Willis won the Georgia primary election, showing that she still has support among voters. The committee investigating her alleged misconduct plans to hold additional hearings in the coming months. Willis has refused to testify before the committee, which she has labeled as “unlawful.” Both Willis and Nathan Wade were reached out to for comments, but it is unclear if they responded. The investigation into the allegations against Willis and her office is ongoing, and concerns about the integrity of the prosecution in high-profile cases like the one against former President Trump remain. The situation highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in law enforcement and the need for proper oversight of elected officials to maintain public trust.
