House Republicans subpoena Fani Willis over alleged misuse of federal funds

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was subpoenaed by the House Judiciary Committee Thursday over alleged misuse of federal funds. Photo by Dennis Byron/EPA-EFE
1 of 2 | Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was subpoenaed by the House Judiciary Committee Thursday over alleged misuse of federal funds. Photo by Dennis Byron/EPA-EFE

Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The House Judiciary Committee on Friday subpoenaed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over alleged misuse of funds by her office.

Committee Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, wrote in a letter to Willis that a recent report surrounding whistleblower allegations showed the Fulton Count District Attorney's Office planned to unlawfully use part of a $488,000 federal grant -- earmarked for the creation of a Center of Youth Empowerment and Gang Prevention' -- to cover frivolous, unrelated expenses."

"According to reporting about the whistleblower's allegations, instead of using these federal grant funds for the intended purpose of helping at-risk youths, your office sought to use the grant funds to 'get Macbooks, ... swag ... [and] use it for travel,'" Jordan wrote.

Jordan charged in the letter and Willis fired the whistleblower two months after the they warned her that using the federal fund in the manner she was spending it was against its original purpose.

The subpoena sought documents from the district attorney's office related to the use of federal funds as part of a broader investigation launched on Aug. 24, 2023, alleging Willis used federal funds as part of her office's investigation into former President Donald Trump's alleged interference in Georgia's 2020 presidential election.

Willis pushed back on Jordan's claims on Friday, in a statement to CNN.

"These false allegations are included in baseless litigation filed by a holdover employee from the previous administration who was terminated for cause," Willis said. "the courts that have ruled found no merit in these claims. We expect the same result in any pending litigation."

Willis is preparing to prosecute Trump and more than of his associates on charges they tried to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia.

The House GOP is already probing Willis over allegations she is enriching herself in the Trump election investigation by having an alleged romantic relationship with Georgia attorney Nathan Wade, who she hired as a special prosecutor in the case.

Trump and two of his co-defendants have targeted the alleged relationship in hopes of getting their Georgia charges dismissed and Willis removed from the case.

On Wednesday, Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee subpoenaed Willis and Wade to testify in a hearing on the motions to disqualify them from the case.

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