House Republicans open probe into Fani Willis ahead of Trump surrender

The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee opened an investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis Thursday over whether her prosecution of former President Trump is "politically motivated."

Driving the news: In a letter to Willis announcing the probe, Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) asked Willis to turn over a series of documents to the committee by Sept. 7.

State of play: "Your indictment and prosecution implicate substantial federal interests, and the circumstances surrounding your actions raise serious concerns about whether they are politically motivated," Jordan wrote in the letter.

• Jordan added that it was "noteworthy" that Willis had launched a reelection website that highlighted her investigation of Trump prior to announcing the indictment.

The big picture: Willis is leading an investigation into Trump's alleged efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results.

• An Atlanta grand jury last week issued a 41-count indictment against Trump and 18 co-defendants.
• Republicans opened the investigation into Willis hours before Trump's planned surrender to authorities at the Fulton County jail.

Fulton County District Attorney's Office spokesperson Pallavi Bailey told Axios Thursday in response to an inquiry about the House probe: "We're declining to comment on that."

Editor's note: This story was updated with additional information.