Eight Georgia Senators have filed a formal ethics complaint against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, alleging she prioritized cases based on her political ideology. The senators, all Republicans, filed the complaint on October 1 with the new Prosecuting Attorneys Qualification Commission.
The complaint, which was first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, has the support of Republican leadership in the Senate. The senators allege Willis “prioritized cases that align with her political party’s interests,” and ““improperly cherry-picked cases to further her personal political agenda,” according to The Messenger. While the complaint does not name former President Donald Trump, who was indicted by Willis in August, it does reference the 10 detainees who have died this year at Fulton County Jail while awaiting trial.
AJC reports the Senators allege Willis’ “selective prosecution has resulted in dangerous, deadly, and unjust overcrowding in the local jail and an unprecedented backlog of cases in the judicial system.” They add, “[t]hese consequences are unacceptable and detrimental to our state.”
Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) (pictured above) filed the complaint alongside Senators Jason Anavitarte (R-Dallas), Shelly Echols (R-Gainesville), Bo Hatchett (R-Cornelia), Clint Dixon (R-Gwinnett), Russ Goodman (R-Cogdell), Chuck Payne (R-Dalton), and Sam Watson (R-Moultrie).
Gooch told AJC the “complaint is just one of the tools at our disposal,” and promised “we won’t relent until she feels the consequences of her misplaced priorities.”
Republicans in the Georgia Senate recently feuded over how Willis should be opposed by the legislators, resulting in the removal of one Republican senator from the party’s caucus.
Senator Colton Moore (R-Trenton) and his supporters demanded the Georgia Senate take immediate action against Willis, and circulated a petition among legislators that demanding Governor Brian Kemp (R) call a special legislative session to either impeach or defund Willis.
However, Kemp strongly opposed Moore’s effort, calling it a “grifter scam,” and declared the Georgia Senate had no power over Willis. Kemp also opposed filing a complaint with Prosecuting Attorneys Qualification Commission over Willis, claiming she had done nothing wrong.
In addition to Kemp, some of the senators behind the complaint were targeted by Moore for their refusal to back the petition. Two of the signers, Hatchett and Echols, saw Georgia activists descend on their districts to inform voters of their decision. Last week, Moore was indefinitely suspended from the Georgia Republican Caucus for the efforts taken to push for a special session.
The Prosecuting Attorneys Qualification Commission became a legal entity after Kemp signed Senate Bill 92 in May. Legal attempts to block the law failed, ultimately concluding last week, and the commission officially began on October 1.
Republicans in the Georgia Senate announced a separate probe into Fulton County Jail last week. That investigation is expected to include at least one Democratic senator, and comes after the Department of Justice announced its own, federal investigation into the jail.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Georgia Star News and a reporter for the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
