atlanta — After more than a year of legal maneuvering Fanny Willis He faces questions Wednesday from a Georgia state Senate committee Her trial For Donald Trump.
The hearing began with Sen. Greg Dolezal, the committee’s vice chair, grilling the Democratic Fulton County prosecutor about her background and the makeup of her office.
The Republican-dominated state Senate in January 2024 created the special investigative committee Examine claims on misconduct charges against Willis in connection with her case seeking criminal convictions for efforts to overturn Trump’s 2020 election loss in Georgia. Even before Trump She embarked on a campaign of revenge Against his enemies, Republicans on the Georgia committee were eager to bring Willis in for questioning.
In an email to supporters Wednesday morning, Willis’ re-election campaign accused the committee of “trying to dig up dirt, slow us down, and distract Fanny Willis from her job.”
The email asks people to pack the Capitol hearing room or send a donation to her campaign.
“We want to make today – the day they tried to tear it down – our biggest fundraising day of the year,” the letter says. “Let us turn their political ploy into a massive display of popular power.”
In an often testy exchange with Dolezal, Willis denied that she decided to sue Trump before taking office.
“That’s what we call a lie,” Willis said.
“I didn’t know he would commit a crime before I took office,” she said. “It’s actually impossible.” Willis assumed office on January 1, 2021.
Asked how much money her office spent prosecuting the election interference case against Trump and others, Willis said she did not know.
“They tried, at all costs, to steal the rights of thousands of Georgians,” she said. “And it wasn’t enough.”
When Willis announced the indictment against Trump and 18 others In August 2023, the state used Anti-extortion law To allege a conspiracy to illegally try to overturn Trump’s narrow loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.
Republicans didn’t like it, but the committee focused on appointing Willis Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade To lead the issue of election interference. The resolution establishing the commission said the romantic relationship between the two amounted to a “clear conflict of interest and fraud on taxpayers.” But the case is now over after the dismissal of Willis and another prosecutor He refused.
Willis told Dolezal she hired Wade “because we were drowning” in other cases. “Every lawyer with that level of experience had a huge project,” Willis said.
“I made a decision, the people of Fulton County elected me to make that decision, and I did,” Willis said.
Democrats criticized the committee as a partisan waste of time motivated by political ambition. Four Republicans on the committee are running for statewide office in 2026. Chairman Bill Cosert From Athens, he is running for the position of Attorney General, while he is running for Senator. Dolezal cumming, Blake Tillery Vidalia W Steve Gooch Both D’Aloniga are seeking the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor. Another Republican who sat on the committee, John Kennedy of Macon, He resigned from the Senate last week to pursue his bid for lieutenant governor.
So far, the committee has uncovered some new facts regarding Willis’ activities. Trump called Willis a “criminal” who should be “prosecuted” and “put in prison.”
Amid a legal battle over the committee’s authority to order her to appear before Willis Didn’t show up Last year when they were called up. The judge agreed that Willis could not ignore the subpoena, and her lawyers reached an agreement for Willis to appear when the subpoena is reissued this year.
Roy Barnes, the former Democratic governor of Georgia who represents Willis, advised Willis not to answer some questions, and also got into some heated exchanges with Dolezal, saying at one point: “This is a witch hunt. It’s always been a witch hunt.”
Willis’ trial began to unravel in January 2024, when the defense attorney in the case alleged that Willis was involved in an inappropriate romantic relationship with Wade.
in Extraordinary hearingBoth Willis and Wade testified about the intimate details of their relationship. Both have strongly denied allegations that this constitutes a conflict of interest.
The judge rebuked Willis for the “massive lapse in judgement.” The ultimate verdict That Willis could remain on the case if Wade resigned, Which he did After hours.
But after defense attorneys appealed, the Georgia Court of Appeals cited the “appearance of impropriety.” Willis removed from the case. State Supreme Court in September He refused to hear Willis’ appeal.