Whistleblower Amanda Timpson, who recently disclosed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis potential misconduct allegations, told The Georgia Star News on Friday that DA Willis “abused her authority.”
“I am glad that the hearing gave me an opportunity to tell the truth about my experiences with DA Willis,” Timpson said. “She abused her authority and once anyone hears the actual fact, that allegation becomes an unmistakable truth.”
On Thursday, the Senate Special Committee on Investigations heard testimony of allegations from Timpson of potential conflicts of interest and misuse of public funds by Willis. State Senator Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) chairs this committee.
Timpson (pictured above) told the committee she was allegedly retaliated against and eventually fired for objecting to the misuse of federal grant money earmarked for a Center of Youth Empowerment and Gang Prevention program.
“I’m here today to fight for my reputation, to fight for the youth of Fulton County, but also for the truth,” she said.
Timpson co-authored the $488,000 Gang Prevention grant under previous District Attorney Paul Howard’s administration.
She told the committee that Chief Program Director Michael Cuffee wanted to allegedly spend the money on “computers, travel, and swag” because that was “Madam’s vision.”
Timpson also claimed she was removed from her position as director of a summer initiative for Fulton County youth when she objected to Cuffee’s alleged plans to spend those funds on Apple computers.
After continuing to push back on the alleged planned spending of the funds, Timpson eventually met with Willis.
In the meeting, Willis allegedly said, “Something to the effect of, ‘Now, what’s going on?'”
Timpson tried to explain her concerns, but Willis allegedly cut her off. “Effective immediately, you’re going to be moved,” she allegedly said.
Timpson was demoted from a program director position to file clerk.
She relocated to a building that was in disrepair, which affected her health, she said.
Supervisors refused her requests to move to a different location.
Timpson also reported that on two occasions, she returned to work after alphabetizing over 1,500 files to find them “in disarray.”
After a meeting with human resources and the Fulton County Diversity and Civil Rights Compliance Office, Timpson was fired and escorted from her desk by “seven armed investigators.”
Legal Analyst Phil Holloway told The Star News on Thursday that, at this time, “there is nothing a commission can do if money is misspent.”
However, Holloway said that he expects the State Senate to “propose new legislation to provide more oversight by county commissions in Georgia as to how they can monitor how DA and other constitutional officers spend money budgeted to them.”
He added, “As of now, I also expect major reforms as to how DAs hire and fire personnel.”
In February, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, headed by Jim Jordan (R-OH-04), requested documents from Willis related to the $488,000 federal grant to establish the Center of Youth Empowerment and Gang Prevention.
As previously reported, Jordan threatened to take further action against Willis if she failed to comply.
In a recent appearance on the Rachel Maddow Show, Willis called Jordan “a clown.”
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Debra McClure is a reporter at The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Follow Debra on X / Twitter.
Image “Amanda Timpson” by Georgia State Senate.
