Georgia House votes to revive prosecutor oversight panel that could oust Fani Willis

 Georgia House members on Monday passed a bill to revive a commission with powers to discipline and remove prosecutors, which Republicans could potentially use to target Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis , who is leading the prosecution against former President Donald Trump.

Willis has been caught up in the investigation over allegations that she recruited special prosecutor Nathan Wade to the case because of her alleged romantic relationship.

The House voted 95–75 along party lines for House Bill 881, sending it to the Senate for further debate. A similar bill, which would create a special committee to investigate Willis's "improper" case, came out of a Senate committee last week.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation last year creating the Prosecuting Attorney Qualification Commission. But after the state Supreme Court refused to approve rules governing the conduct of the committee, it was unable to begin operations

The judges said they had "serious doubts" about their ability to regulate the duties of district attorneys beyond the practice of law; Monday's measure removes the need for Supreme Court approval.

Dallas Republican Representative Joseph Gullett, who sponsored the measure, told The Associated Press, "This commission will now be able to begin its real work, which is bringing accountability to rogue prosecuting attorneys who abuse their office."

The outlet reported that Gullett and some other Republicans deny that the measure is directly targeted at Willis, citing examples of prosecutor misconduct, including past occasions when Democrats supported the idea of a prosecutor oversight panel. Was.

But Democratic opposition to the commission has hardened, saying Republicans are trying to subvert the will of Democratic voters.

"The commission will be able to move forward unilaterally and have the ability to interfere with and undermine the ongoing investigation into Donald J. Trump," said House Minority Whip Sam Park, a Lawrenceville Democrat. "You are taking action to protect former President Trump from ongoing criminal prosecution."

John Malcolm, a former assistant U.S. attorney in Atlanta, told Fox News Digital in an interview that the charges against Willis are "serious."

"They deserve to be looked into, and it certainly jeopardizes this prosecution and gives a black mark to not only Fulton County, but potentially the entire state, so I can understand that the Georgia legislature will be concerned about this." Why angry,” she said.

Malcolm, who currently serves as director of the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies, said "this is a difficult moment" for Willis, who he says may ultimately decide to recuse himself from the case. Are.

The allegations of Willis' affair with Wade stem from a court filing by Trump's co-defendant Michael Roman.

According to court documents filed by Roman earlier this month, Willis, who brought charges against Trump related to election interference, has had an "inappropriate" relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she described as a threat to the 2024 GOP leader. Was hired to help prosecute.

Wade, who has no experience in RICO and felony prosecution, has billed taxpayers $654,000 since January 2021, according to court documents.

Roman's filing alleges that shortly after being appointed as special prosecutor, Wade billed Fulton County for 24 hours of work done on a single day in November 2021, and that Willis defrauded her alleged lover of taxpayer funds. -Benefited financially by taking lavish vacations together with funded salaries. His money.

Willis addressed the allegations for the first time at Atlanta's Big Bethel AME Church earlier this month.

“They only attacked one,” she said. "The first thing they say is, 'Oh, she's going to play the race card now.'

Willis asked, "But God no, aren't they playing the race card when they only ask one question?"

"You can't expect black women to be perfect and save the world," Willis said. He added, "We need to be allowed to stumble. We need grace."

Trump's lawyers joined Roman's effort on Thursday, filing a motion that Willis, Wade and their office be removed from the case, in response to allegations of misconduct against Willis that he "improperly handled the case." and promoted racial animosity".