Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis faces increasing legal pressure as she prepares to release documents related to her investigation of Trump.
The decision follows a court ruling that found her office had intentionally withheld records, resulting in a $54,264 penalty for violating open records laws.
The order, issued by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rachel Krause, determined that Willis’ office failed to comply with records requests made by attorney Ashleigh Merchant.
The ruling noted that Willis’ office, through Open Records custodian Dexter Bond, exhibited open hostility toward Merchant’s requests and treated them differently from others.
The documents Willis will now provide include a list of attorneys hired since 2021, confidentiality agreements required for employees, and all correspondence between her office and the Fulton County Purchasing Department.
Her attorneys stated that these records will meet the requirements of the Georgia Senate Special Committee, which is investigating allegations of misconduct by Willis. The committee is chaired by Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-GA).
Judge Shukura L. Ingram weighed in on Willis’ initial resistance to subpoenas, ruling that repeated legal challenges to investigative subpoenas would obstruct legislative oversight.
Ingram stated, “If, every time a subpoena is issued by a Special Committee, a recipient can simply litigate its validity and enforcement until the General Assembly reconstitutes and then they have to start over, this would be an absurd result indeed.”
Merchant has argued that Willis’ office demonstrated a lack of good faith and transparency in handling records requests. The court order grants Merchant injunctive relief, requiring Willis to release the documents within 30 days.
The ruling further criticized the conduct of Willis’ office, stating:
“Defendants’ failures were intentional, not done in good faith, and were substantially groundless and vexatious.”
As Willis complies with the order, the fallout from the case continues to fuel scrutiny over her handling of the Trump investigation and broader concerns about transparency within her office.
