Fulton County Meeting Makes Gives Decision On Ethics Complaints
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been in the spotlight recently after accusations of prosecutorial misconduct and ethical violations surfaced against her. A special meeting of the Fulton County Board of Ethics was scheduled last week to address complaints filed against Willis, but at the last minute, it was declared that the ethics board did not have jurisdiction over her due to her being a state constitutional officer.
The first complaint, brought forward by Fulton County resident Steven Kramer, accused Willis of failing to report gifts from her lover, Nathan Wade, who was hired by her to work on the prosecution of former President Donald Trump and his allies. It was alleged that she accepted expensive trips and vacations paid for by Mr. Wade, who was awarded lucrative contracts by Willis. These trips included visits to Aruba, the Bahamas, and Belize.
Kramer's complaint stated that Willis had not disclosed these gifts on her financial disclosure reports, which is a violation of the county code. He also suggested that Willis could potentially face RICO violations in relation to her actions. It was also reported that the district attorney had used taxpayer-funded money for these trips and that they were not for the benefit of the citizens of Fulton County.
The Board of Ethics determined it lacked jurisdiction over Willis, who is an elected state officer, unable to be ethically reviewed by a county board. They noted the investigations going on at the state level. pic.twitter.com/3V8DGPiU3m
— Doug Reardon (@ReardonReports) March 7, 2024
The second complaint, brought by Gregory Mantell, accused Willis of unlawfully refusing to release financial records related to Mr. Wade's invoices. Mr. Mantell's request for access to the district attorney's expense reports was also denied. He claimed that Willis was attempting to cover up her actions that raised ethical concerns, including conflicts of interest and personal benefits gained from contracts she awarded.
However, the board's chairman, Daraka E. Satcher, stated that the ethics code only applies to "county" officers and employees, and as a state constitutional officer, Willis falls outside of their jurisdiction. He stated that the proper venue for these complaints would be the Georgia State Ethics Commission, which oversees all elected officials in the state.
UPDATE:
This is the first meeting they have held without a live stream
Only in person
They changed the notice Tuesday….
— Phil Holloway ✈️ (@PhilHollowayEsq) March 7, 2024
One board member, Chris Miller, agreed with the decision to remove the complaints from the meeting agenda, stating that other officials were already investigating the matter with greater detail and rigor. He also mentioned that the potential consequences for Willis would be a reprimand and a $1,000 fine at most.
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) has previously filed two ethics complaints against Willis, stating that she has violated the state's campaign finance and ethics rules. Willis is also under investigation by a Republican-led Georgia state Senate special committee and the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, who have subpoenaed documents from her office after a whistleblower alleged misuse of federal funds.
A newly created oversight panel, the "Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission," could also look into Willis' conduct. This committee was established to discipline "rogue" prosecutors in the state of Georgia. Additionally, the Judge presiding over the case against Willis, Scott McAfee, is expected to make a decision by March 15 on whether to disqualify her from the Trump case due to her relationship with Mr. Wade.
In response to these allegations, Willis' attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, argued that DAs are required to receive county approval before hiring additional personnel and that Willis had not followed this protocol in hiring Mr. Wade. However, the district attorney's office defended their actions, stating that they have inherent authority and do not have to comply with county ordinances or statutes.
The outcome of these investigations and complaints against Fani Willis is still uncertain, but they have put a spotlight on potential misconduct within the Fulton County District Attorney's office. With multiple entities looking into her actions, it remains to be seen what consequences, if any, will be faced by Willis.