Governor Brian Kemp said on Tuesday that he would prefer Georgia lawmakers make changes to the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission (PAQC) rather than pursue the effort by Republicans in the Georgia Senate to form a new investigative committee to explore allegations Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is engaged in a romantic affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.
Not only was Willis recently accused of engaging in the inappropriate relationship, it was also alleged by one of the defendants in her election case against former President Donald Trump that she financially benefited from Wade’s appointment through her participation in luxurious vacations paid for by Wade.
Willis has compensated the special prosecutor more than $650,000 in taxpayer money since he was appointed in 2021, and a filing from Wade’s divorce proceedings reveal he purchased plane tickets to popular vacation destinations in Willis’ name.
In an interview with WSB-TV, the governor explained that he wants lawmakers to make changes to the PAQC, a body meant to be capable of investigating and reining in partisan prosecutors that was approved by the legislature and became active last year. It was effectively paused by the Georgia Supreme Court in November, with a ruling that expressed doubt about the court’s constitutional ability to oversee the PAQC.
Kemp told the outlet he is “focused on fixing the law we’ve got,” calling it “the best way” to investigate Willis.
“Having more politicians involved, I don’t know is the answer to that,” he told the outlet, adding that Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee “and the other judges that are looking into that is the proper place” to determine if Willis engaged in wrongdoing.
WSB-TV also reported that Kemp’s recent attendance of the World Economic Forum’s annual event in Davos, Switzerland, was an opportunity to “sell Georgia to big corporations” that may relocate to The Peach State, with the governor explaining his visit “got us on a lot of people’s radars, which is great.”
Days after Kemp returned from Switzerland, a spokesman with his office told Breitbart News the governor dismissed the criminal referral against Willis filed by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14) after the claims about the relationship between Willis and Wade went public earlier in January.
Instead, the Kemp spokesman suggested Greene “refer her complaint to the oversight commission once the legislative process concludes this session and the commission begins full operations.”
After suggesting Greene refile her complaint with the paused commission, the spokesman acknowledged the “allegations are deeply troubling and evidence should be presented quickly.”
Willis is also facing an official complaint filed with the Georgia Bar Association, a request for information about the alleged affair from the Fulton County Audit Committee. The district attorney must file a response to the claim about the alleged affair by February 2. She will appear in court to address her alleged relationship with Wade on February 15.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Brian Kemp” by Governor Brian Kemp. Background Photo “Supreme Court of Georgia Building” by Harrison Keely. CC BY 4.0.
