Tipsheet

Fani Willis Faces Articles of Impeachment

Mia Cathell
Mia Cathell  |  January 26, 2024 3:10 PM

Articles of impeachment have officially been introduced against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who allegedly had an affair with the special prosecutor she hired to prosecute former President Donald Trump in his Georgia election interference case.

GOP state Rep. Charlice Byrd, a Trump ally and chairwoman of the Georgia Freedom Caucus, introduced H.R. 872 on Friday, seeking to impeach the anti-Trump Democrat DA for using her prosecutorial position "not to pursue justice but for political gain."

The 10-page House resolution alleges that Willis committed "acts of malfeasance, tyrannical partiality, and oppression" in the "wrongful" indictment of Trump and his 18 co-defendants, constituting "the severest case of gross abuse of discretion." Byrd claims Willis "grossly violated" her oath of office, in which she swore "impartiality" "without fear" or "favor." Additionally, Byrd accuses Willis of engaging in an "inappropriate" and "unethical" relationship with lead prosecutor Nathan Wade — relations from which she has "financially benefitted" and "profited," Byrd alleges, citing the DA's vow to take "only my lawful compensation."

Willis and Wade allegedly wasted taxpayer money on lavish vacations the two took together using Wade's $600,000-plus salary from the Fulton County district attorney's office, according to bank statements recently uncovered in Wade's messy divorce case.

"Fani Willis has a laundry list of potential conflicts that make her unworthy and unfit to be the District Attorney in Fulton County," Byrd commented. "Someone elected to their office is expected to uphold the law and not weaponize their office for political gain. Since Day One when she was elected, Fani Willis has embarrassed the criminal justice system in Fulton County and our state."

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Byrd further claimed that Willis unlawfully owed money to the Georgia Elections Commission when she was sworn in, a violation of state law that constitutes additional grounds for impeachment, the state representative serving metropolitan Atlanta said.

According to a press release issued by Byrd's office, the state legislator lambasted Willis for indicting Republicans "who used their First Amendment rights to question the results of an election," a practice that Democrats have regularly done in the past after losing critical races. Byrd pointed to Al Gore in 2000, Hillary Clinton in 2016, and Stacey Abrams in 2018 as notable examples.

"In those cases, neither their supporters were indicted or taken to court..." the press statement said.

Accusing Willis of having "Trump Derangement Syndrome," Byrd urged, "It's time our state lawmakers draw a line in the sand and put an end to her refusal to uphold the Constitution." She added, "The First Amendment is the bedrock of this country."

"When the rights of Americans are grossly violated and we stand by, doing nothing, we set precedent that public officials need not concern themselves with the rights of the citizenry," Byrd remarked, declaring: "This is not a precedent I can live by with setting."

"The time to act is now and I encourage all my colleagues in the General Assembly to join me and impeach Fani Willis," she said.

Georgia's General Assembly hasn't impeached anyone in over 50 years, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. A two-thirds majority of the 56-seat state Senate is required to convict, which Republicans currently control less than two-thirds of. Although a Republican is likely to win a vacant seat, returning the GOP majority to 33 members, at least five Democrats would have to vote for conviction.

The bill's announcement comes on the same day that the Georgia state Senate formed a special committee to investigate Willis.