Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis forcefully defended her now-dismissed criminal investigation into efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election while testifying last week before a Republican-led Georgia Senate special committee.
Appearing before state lawmakers, Willis stood by her decision to bring sweeping charges against former President Donald Trump and 18 alleged co-conspirators following Trump’s Jan. 2, 2021, phone call urging Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” enough votes to reverse the election outcome.
“You all want to intimidate people from doing the right thing, and you think that you’re going to intimidate me,” Willis told the panel, citing what she described as thousands of threats sent to her home and office during the course of the investigation. “But I took an oath to do the right thing.”
Willis stated that her prosecution was rooted in what she viewed as criminal conduct that directly affected her community.
“People came into my community and committed a crime and I indicted them,” she said. “Rest assured, if someone else comes into my community and commits a crime, I will indict them again.”
The Georgia case initially gained momentum after four of Trump’s co-defendants accepted plea deals in exchange for agreeing to testify against other defendants. However, Willis was later disqualified from the prosecution following allegations of impropriety tied to her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. The case was ultimately dropped.
During the hearing, Republican senators questioned Willis extensively about her charging decisions, staffing choices, and the overall cost of the investigation.
When asked how much taxpayer money was spent, Willis responded sharply: “Whatever it cost, they tried to steal the rights of thousands of Georgians. It couldn’t have been enough.”
Willis also pushed back forcefully against several lines of questioning, at times characterizing them as “ignorant” or “dumb-ass” questions. Her attorney echoed former President Trump’s own rhetoric, labeling the committee’s inquiry a “witch hunt.”
Trump, who pleaded not guilty before the Georgia case was dismissed, has consistently denied any wrongdoing related to the 2020 election.
The hearing underscored the continued political and legal fallout surrounding efforts to overturn the 2020 election, as well as the personal and professional consequences faced by prosecutors who pursued those cases.
