Fulton DA Fani Willis defends election-interference case before Senate committee
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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (second from left) arrives at the Georgia Capitol on Wednesday to appear before a state Senate committee. Photo: Thomas Wheatley/Axios
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis blasted a Georgia Senate committee investigating her now-closed election-interference case against President Trump in a long-awaited appearance Wednesday.
Why it matters: Georgia Republicans — including the four on the panel who are seeking statewide office — are making Willis and the sprawling RICO case into a 2026 election season issue.
Context: Over the course of nearly four hours, Willis punched back at state Sen. Greg Dolezal's questions about her decisions leading up to the 2023 indictment of Trump and 18 co-defendants, including her office's funding sources and hiring practices.
State of play: The Fulton criminal case, possibly the most wide-ranging and serious of the legal challenges Trump faced after his first term ended, unraveled in 2024 over Willis' romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, a lawyer she hired to manage the prosecution.
- Willis was later disqualified from the case. In late November, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee dismissed the remaining charges against Trump and his co-defendants after prosecutor Peter Skandalakis, the head of the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council of Georgia, said he would not pursue the case.
Between the lines: On Wednesday, Willis accused committee members of using the probe to further their political careers. Her lawyer, former Gov. Roy Barnes, described the process as a "witch hunt."
- Dolezal (R-Cumming) and fellow state Senate committee members Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia) and Steve Gooch (R-Dahlonega) are running for lieutenant governor.
- State Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Athens), who chairs the committee but did not participate in Wednesday's meeting because of medical reasons, wants to succeed Republican Attorney General Chris Carr, who's running for governor.
Zoom in: Willis, who declined to "speculate" when asked about grants and other funding, said she has been harassed and had police called on her home because of the case.
- "If this committee wants to get serious about legislation to make the communities in the state of Georgia safer, they will invest more money in every district attorney's office across this state," Willis said.
Dolezal largely stuck to questioning Willis but did turn off her microphone at least once.
- The senator told reporters afterward he wanted answers on behalf of his "friends who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars defending themselves against these politically motivated charges."
Caveat: The committee cannot sanction or remove Willis but can recommend changes to state law.
What's next: Dolezal told Axios he and Cowsert will discuss the committee's next steps.