A Georgia judge has ordered Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to release her communications with federal investigators and a congressional panel related to her prosecution of former President Donald Trump, a ruling from an open-records lawsuit filed by a conservative watchdog group, the New York Post reported.
Willis must turn over all communications with special counsel Jack Smith and the House Jan. 6 committee to the conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch following a ruling by a Georgia judge on Tuesday.
Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney found that Willis violated Georgia's open-records laws by failing to respond to a records request filed in August 2023.
The watchdog group, which advocates for government transparency, filed a lawsuit in March after receiving no response to its request for communications between Willis' office, Smith, and the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots.
Judge McBurney declared Willis in default and ordered her to produce the requested records within five business days. The ruling significantly develops the ongoing legal and political controversies surrounding the high-profile prosecutor.
"Fani Willis is something else. We've been doing this work for 30 years, and this is the first time in our experience a government official has been found in default for not showing up in court to answer an open records lawsuit," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a press release.
Judicial Watch seeks documentation revealing any collaboration between Willis' office, the Biden administration, and House Democrats.
"Judicial Watch looks forward to getting any documents from the Fani Willis operation about collusion with the Biden administration and Nancy Pelosi's Congress on her unprecedented and compromised 'get-Trump' prosecution," Fitton added.
Willis, 53, is prosecuting the only remaining criminal case against Trump. The case alleges that the former president attempted to interfere with Georgia's 2020 election results. Special counsel Smith dropped other federal cases against Trump after Trump's reelection last month, and a Manhattan judge indefinitely postponed sentencing in the state-level business documents case.
This ruling comes as Willis continues to face public scrutiny. Over the past year, she has been criticized for her admitted romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, a lawyer she hired to lead the Trump prosecution team.
A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 20 to address Judicial Watch's request for attorney fees related to their successful lawsuit. The group claims the ruling is a victory for accountability and transparency in a case that has drawn national attention.
The controversy adds another layer to the challenges facing Willis as she navigates the legal, political, and ethical complexities of prosecuting one of the country's most polarizing figures.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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