Kemp says there’s a better way to look into Fulton DA misconduct allegations than Senate inquiry

ATLANTA — Some Georgia lawmakers want the state Senate to open up an investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ handling of the election interference case.

But Gov. Brian Kemp spoke exclusively with Channel 2′s Richard Elliot and said he thinks there’s a better way to move forward.

Lawmakers are already tweaking the Prosecutor Oversite Committee law rejected by the Georgia Supreme Court last year.

But a new attempt by Cumming lawmaker Greg Dolezal would allow the Senate to open up a full-scale investigation into Willis.

A Cobb County judge ruled on Monday that Willis doesn’t have to testify, for now, in the divorce case involving her special prosecutor Nathan Wade, where she is alleged to have had an inappropriate relationship with him.

Now, Dolezal is pushing to create a Senate investigative committee to look into allegations of misconduct against Willis.

“There’s obviously been a lot of questions around the selection of the staff that was working on that case. Why they were selected, potential misuse of funds, at least a potential conflict of interest,” Dolezal said.

Willis is prosecuting former President Donald Trump and others on racketeering and conspiracy charges for allegedly trying to overturn the Georgia 2020 presidential election.

There are now allegations that she had an improper romantic relationship with Wade and that there was a misuse of county funds.

Dolezal wants this proposed investigative committee to look at all of it.

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“What this resolution does is raise a fact-finding mission to the General Assembly to find out what exactly happened as it relates to a potential conflict of interest, and then response either with appropriations adjustments or changes to state law,” Dolezal said.

Kemp feels differently.

“I’m focused on fixing the law we’ve got, and that’s the best way to go,” Kemp told Elliot.

Few Democrats wanted to talk about the allegations against Willis, but Kemp said he thinks lawmakers would be better served tweaking the law that created the Prosecutors’ Oversight Commission to make it constitutional.

The Georgia Supreme Court essentially struck it down in November.

Kemp thinks that’s the way to proceed on any misconduct allegations against any district attorney.

“Having more politicians involved, I don’t know is the answer to that. I think Judge (Scott) McAfee and the other judges that are looking into that is the proper place for that,” Kemp said.

Elliot also contacted the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office for comment on this story but hasn’t received any.

Kemp also spoke to Elliot about his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

The governor said the trip was a chance to sell Georgia to big corporations thinking about locating here.

“It just got us on a lot of people’s radars, which is great,” Kemp said.

Kemp said he spent his time talking to the CEOs of major corporations about why they should be located in Georgia.

He said he pointed to the state’s business-friendly environment and all the work he and lawmakers have done for workforce development.

“We’ve invested in education in our workforce and that’s something literally every company that we met with they’re concerned about. Where are you going to get employees today, but also where are you going to get employees five, 10 years from now,” Kemp said.

In their exclusive interview, Kemp also talked about his legislative agenda -- one focused on the budget with one eye clearly on a potential economic slowdown this year.

That’s why he told Elliot that he’s investing so much in pay raises for state employees, teachers, and law enforcement and accelerating income tax cuts.

He’s also investing in repairing infrastructure like roads and buildings to get it down now and to make sure people have jobs.

“We all want to keep Georgians working, so you know that extra billion-and-a-half dollars we’re putting into transportation, the money we’re putting into maintenance and repair on buildings and other things we’re doing,” Kemp said.

Democratic leadership is still very critical of how the governor has no plans to fully expand Medicaid, even as some members of his own party seem more open to that idea this year.

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