The House Judiciary Committee, led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), is intensifying its ongoing investigation into what it terms “politically motivated prosecutions,” with a particular emphasis on the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office and its criminal case against President Donald Trump.
The committee announced Thursday that it is continuing to seek testimony and documents from four senior employees of District Attorney Fani Willis’ office: Chief Senior District Attorney Donald Wakeford, Deputy District Attorney Will Wooten, Assistant Chief Investigator Michael Hill, and Assistant Trina Swanson-Lucas.
Letters requesting their voluntary cooperation were dispatched Thursday afternoon.
This marks the latest development in an inquiry that commenced in December 2023, when the committee initiated its probe into the Georgia election interference case and allegations of Willis’ coordination with the now-dissolved January 6 Select Committee.
The committee’s interest focuses on a Dec. 17, 2021, letter from Willis to then-January 6 Committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson, in which she reportedly sought access to transcripts, emails, and travel records.
Testimony from FCDAO Assistant DA Dexter Bond indicates that members of her office subsequently traveled to Washington, D.C., at taxpayer expense, to meet with committee staff and review nonpublic materials.
Chairman Jordan and other committee members argue that such coordination raises significant questions regarding the impartiality of the case against Trump and merits federal legislative scrutiny.
Willis, in past correspondence, has acknowledged receiving crucial materials from the January 6 Committee but has resisted turning them over to Congress, citing legal protections such as attorney-client privilege and the work product doctrine.
As for the committee’s requests, letters sent to the senior employees of the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office reveal that on Feb. 6, the committee asked the group to provide specific records and participate in transcribed interviews.
They reportedly replied on Feb. 20, stating that DA Willis had instructed them not to disclose sensitive information, asking for an additional 30 days to secure legal counsel, a request that was granted by the committee.
Following that deadline, another request was made for an additional 45 days, during which Charlie Bailey was retained to represent the employees.
The committee was later advised that the Fulton County Board of Commissioners had “partially approved” funding for Bailey’s services.
Now, over two months since the original request, the committee is demanding that the employees submit the requested materials and arrange an interview by May 1.
In the letters sent Thursday, Jordan and Rep. Barry Loudermilk stated that the committee is prepared to utilize a compulsory process should the named employees fail to comply.
If the staff members from Fulton County do not adhere to the committee’s requests, it may lead to the issuance of subpoenas or other legal measures to obtain the necessary information.
FOX 5 Atlanta has reached out to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office for comment, but as of publication, there has been no response. This story will be updated upon receiving a statement from the office.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is concurrently facing ongoing legal challenges, including investigations by the Georgia Senate Special Committee on Investigations, which was reauthorized in March to continue examining allegations of misconduct involving Willis and her former special prosecutor, Nathan Wade, related to the 2020 election interference case against President Trump and several co-defendants.
The committee has requested a Fulton County judge to enforce a legislative subpoena against the district attorney, following her absence from their most recent meeting in March, reportedly due to a trip with Wade.
Sen. Bill Cowsert, R-Athens, who chairs the committee, expressed frustration over the drawn-out situation, stating, “This has been going on now for many months. We issued our subpoena back in September of ’24. We’re now six months later, and we haven’t gotten her to comply, even though the judge has ordered it. And, you know, we are fed up with that.”
Cowsert indicated that the committee will propose several dates for Willis’ attorney, former Governor Roy Barnes, in hopes of resolving the matter without further court involvement.
“Hopefully we will resolve this and she will begin to respond to the legal process like she expects the defendants in her courtroom to do,” Cowsert added.
Moreover, Cowsert mentioned that the committee continues to seek documents from the District Attorney’s Office related to its investigation.
Willis’ attorney sent FOX 5 a statement concerning these ongoing issues.
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