Republicans Plan to Launch Investigation Into Fani Willis

Georgia state Senate Republicans plan to launch an investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis amid allegations she had an affair with a special prosecutor in her office who she hired to investigate Donald Trump in his Georgia election interference case.

Willis has found herself at the center of a potential ethics violation related to her alleged affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. This comes amid Willis' case against the former president, in which Trump and 18 co-defendants were indicted by a Georgia grand jury in August and face criminal racketeering charges for allegedly attempting to overturn the state's electoral results in the 2020 election won by Joe Biden. However, four individuals who were indicted, but later pleaded guilty, said they'd cooperate with prosecutors. Trump, the frontrunner in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, and the remaining defendants have pleaded not guilty.

The allegations that Willis faces were first made when former Trump staffer Michael Roman, who faces seven charges in Georgia, filed a lawsuit presented without evidence that alleged Willis "engaged in a personal, romantic relationship" with Wade and "personally benefited from" the alleged affair. Roman is seeking to disqualify Willis and Wade from the trial; Trump has not joined the motion. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) previously confirmed to Newsweek that it is not investigating the district attorney for alleged impropriety.

On Monday, Georgia state Senate Republicans introduced legislation to establish the Senate Special Committee on Investigations to look into the allegations of misconduct involving the district attorney.

According to a resolution put forth by Georgia state Senator Greg Dolezal, the committee, which would be composed of nine members with three representatives from the minority party, would be tasked with conducting a legislative investigation and have power to "call any party to testify under oath."

In a press release emailed to Newsweek on Monday afternoon, Dolezal added that the committee aims to ensure transparency and accountability in the justice system.

"Today, in response to a wave of concerning reports and court filings regarding District Attorney Fani Willis of the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, I am calling for the establishment of the Senate Special Committee on Investigations. The multitude of accusations surrounding Ms. Willis, spanning from allegations of prosecutorial misconduct to questions about the use of public funds and accusations of an unprofessional relationship, underscores the urgency for a thorough and impartial examination. We owe it to the public to ensure transparency, accountability and the preservation of the integrity of our justice system," he said in a press release.

Newsweek has reached out to the Fulton County district attorney's office via email for comment.

The resolution will likely be assigned to the Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday and upon approval from the Rules Committee, a Senate floor vote will be scheduled as soon as this week. If passed by the Senate, the Committee on Assignments will appoint the members.

Willis previously rejected the allegations and said her critics were "playing the race card" given that they had singled out Wade, who is Black.

However, the Willis-Wade relationship must now be addressed by the district attorney, Georgia Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee wrote in a recent legal filing. Willis must submit a written response by February 2 to allegations that she "engaged in a personal, romantic relationship" with Wade, which will be followed by an evidentiary hearing on February 15.

In addition, Wade's estranged wife, Joycelyn Wade, has sought to force Willis to testify in the divorce case between herself and Nathan. However, a judge ruled earlier today that Willis could not be forced to testify until Nathan has given his testimony.