Georgia Lawmakers Granted Power to Subpoena Fani Willis in Trump Case Inquiry

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis during a hearing in the case of The State of Georgia v. Donald J. Trump et al. at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on March 1, 2024. Alex Slitz/Pool/Getty Images

Georgia state lawmakers have been granted the authority to subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as part of an inquiry into her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram issued the ruling on Dec. 23, allowing the Georgia Senate to compel Willis’s testimony while giving her until Jan. 13 to argue that the lawmakers’ demands are overly broad or seek confidential information. A final order will determine the extent of Willis’s compliance.

The judge’s decision marks a significant development in the Republican-led investigation of Willis, who has faced accusations of misconduct and conflicts of interest in the high-profile election interference case.

Willis plans to appeal the ruling.

“We believe the ruling is wrong and will appeal,” former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, who is representing Willis, told The Associated Press.

The investigation, led by a state Senate committee formed earlier this year, centers on allegations of misconduct by Willis during her prosecution of Trump and others on allegations related to the 2020 election. The committee’s August subpoenas demanded testimony and extensive documentation from Willis, who skipped a September hearing, delaying the inquiry.

Willis’s attorney argued previously that the committee’s subpoenas are overly broad and lack legitimate legislative purpose, saying they seek confidential and personal information.

Georgia State Sen. Greg Dolezal, a Republican and a key figure in the Senate committee’s efforts, applauded the ruling.

“Judge Ingram has ruled the state Senate does indeed have the power to subpoena D.A. Fani Willis,” Dolezal wrote in a post on X. “We'll see you soon, Madam D.A.”

The scrutiny of Willis intensified after the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled earlier in December to disqualify her from the Trump case. The split 2–1 decision cited an “appearance of impropriety” stemming from her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. While both Willis and Wade have admitted to the relationship, they said it began after Wade was hired and ended before Trump’s indictment. Willis’s office filed a notice of intent to ask the Georgia Supreme Court to review the decision.

This came after earlier rulings, including one by Judge Scott McAfee, who described Willis’s actions as a “tremendous lapse in judgment” and allowed her to continue prosecuting Trump if Wade stepped aside—a condition that was met.

The Senate committee’s investigation also highlights concerns over Willis’s hiring of Wade, which legislators allege created a “clear conflict of interest” and defrauded taxpayers.

Following the court of appeals’ decision to disqualify Willis, Trump proclaimed the election case “dead” and alleged corruption within her office.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.