Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis delivered a combative and profanity-laced performance before Georgia state senators investigating her conduct in the now-dismissed case against President Donald Trump and several of his allies.
The hearing, held Wednesday before Republican-led state lawmakers, centered on an oversight investigation into Willis’s handling of the high-profile prosecution.
The case was thrown out earlier this year following revelations of impropriety involving Willis and her former lead prosecutor, Nathan Wade.
Willis appeared under subpoena to address questions regarding her hiring of Wade, with whom she conducted an extramarital affair while compensating him with $650,000 in taxpayer funds.
Lawmakers sought answers about Wade’s role in major case decisions, the nature and timeline of their personal relationship, any financial benefits she may have received and broader allegations of prosecutorial misconduct.
The committee’s stated purpose is to gather information that could inform potential legislative reforms, including enhanced oversight mechanisms for district attorneys across Georgia.
Multiple exchanges during the hearing escalated into heated confrontations.
Willis repeatedly challenged the accuracy of previous testimony references, accused senators of spreading misinformation and raised her voice at lawmakers throughout the proceedings.
In one particularly contentious moment, a senator referenced Wade’s prior sworn testimony indicating he participated in over 90 percent of key meetings and decisions related to the case.
Willis refused to accept the characterization without reviewing the exact transcript.
“I can’t speak to any other person’s testimony. If he testified to such, you’re going to need to show it to me. You’ll have to forgive me, I don’t really trust you so I’ll have to see that particular testimony,” Willis responded angrily.
Senators also pressed Willis on whether she had discussed investigating the 2020 election with Wade prior to assuming office in January 2021.
Her response grew lengthy and hostile as she attacked the premise of the question.
“That’s really an ignorant question. And if you understand what the word ignorant means, it means the lack of knowledge,” she declared.
“It’s a dumb ass question.”
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Willis went on to argue the investigation could not have been planned in advance, claiming critical events occurred only after she took office as district attorney.
She accused her critics of disseminating falsehoods about her campaign promises and stressed that common sense trumped legal expertise in evaluating the timeline.
The case against Willis began unraveling in 2024 when one of the defendants filed a motion for dismissal based on allegations of impropriety between the DA and Wade.
Defendants argued Willis benefited financially from Wade’s substantial compensation, which exceeded $650,000 from public coffers.
Court filings alleged that portions of Wade’s fees funded luxury vacations for the couple, creating both a conflict of interest and an appearance of impropriety that undermined the prosecution’s credibility.
Additional accusations surfaced claiming Willis and Wade misrepresented the timeline of their romantic relationship while under oath, further damaging public confidence in the case.
In March 2024, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled there was an “appearance of impropriety” stemming from the relationship.
However, he permitted Willis to continue prosecuting the case on the condition that Wade resign from his position, which he promptly did.
Defendants appealed McAfee’s ruling, contending the conflict of interest necessitated complete disqualification of Willis and her entire office from the prosecution.
Last December, the Georgia Court of Appeals sided with the defendants and disqualified Willis and her office from the case.
Willis attempted to challenge that decision before the state Supreme Court.
In September, the Georgia Supreme Court denied Willis’s appeal, making her disqualification official and permanent.
Following Willis’s removal, the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council appointed Pete Skandalakis as the replacement prosecutor. However, the case stalled due to reported difficulties with staffing and available resources.
Last month, the case was dismissed entirely, bringing a definitive end to the prosecution that Willis had pursued against Trump and his associates.
