Georgia Senate votes to investigate misconduct allegations against Fulton DA

ATLANTA — State lawmakers voted Friday to investigate misconduct allegations against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

The Republican-led Georgia Senate voted along party lines on creating a committee to open a full-scale investigation over her handling of the 2020 election interference indictment case.

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Legislation introduced this week accused Willis of being in an “improper relationship” with Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor hired by Willis to lead the election interference case against former President Donald Trump and others.

A filing by an attorney representing one of the co-defendants accused Willis of paying Wade hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer funds to lead the prosecution, then benefited personally by taking vacations that he paid for.

The accusations surfaced in the divorce proceedings between Wade and his estranged wife, Joycelyn Wade.

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Channel 2 Action News spoke with Georgia State Sen. Greg Dolezal about his push to create an investigative committee to look into those misconduct allegations.

“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 to respond to either with appropriations, adjustments or changes to state law.”

The Senate Committee couldn’t sanction Willis, but could subpoena witnesses, evidence and require testimony under oath.

Gov. Brian Kemp spoke exclusively with Channel 2 Action News earlier this week. The governor said he would rather see a new law creating an oversight committee to look into allegations against any prosecutor.

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

Channel 2 Action News reached out to the Fulton DA’s Office for a comment on Friday’s proceedings. Democratic leadership also has not commented on the proposed resolution.

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