Fulton County DA Fani Willis testifies before the state Senate in a contentious hearing

Caption

District Attorney Fani Willis testifies in front of the State Senate Committee investigating her.

Credit: Sarah Kallis/GPB News

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis defended her record during a tense hearing in front of a state senate committee investigating her Wednesday. 

Senators on the predominantly Republican committee questioned Willis about her decision to hire a special prosecutor with whom she'd also had a relationship to prosecute an election interference case involving President Donald Trump and 18 others. They did not ask questions about her relationship with Wade, but were interested in how Wade was paid, which Willis said she was not in charge of, and if he spoke to members of the U.S. legislative committee investigating the Jan. 6 riots.

Willis said she did not meet with any of the members of the Jan. 6 committee, but state Sen. Greg Dolezal presented documents showing that Wade billed a call related to the Jan. 6 committee and a hotel in Washington, D.C. 

"If you know that a criminal has done crimes in this state and other states, it would almost not be due diligence to try to get information from them," Willis said about the possibility of Wade speaking to members of U.S. Congress on the committee, but said she had not seen a bill for the call. 

The testimony got heated at times.

“You all want to intimidate people from doing the right thing, and you think that you're going to intimidating me," she said. "You all have been trying to intimidate me for five years which is why I have not been able to live in my house for five years." 

Willis’ attorney, former Gov. Roy Barnes, called the questioning a witch hunt, and said that Willis testified well. State Sen. Steve Gooch disagreed.

"Clearly, Miss Willis came in with the intent not to answer any questions," he said after the meeting. "And I believe she owes it to the taxpayers and to the citizens of Fulton County to answer the questions that have been asked by the committee."

Barnes said that he believes the purpose of the committee was politically motivated, as four of the members are running for statewide office. 

"It's very apparent that all of what they're trying to do is raise money," he said. "You know, hit on Fani and 'Send me $100 because I'll hit on her again and I can run for statewide office,'" he said. 

The committee was formed in 2024, before any of the candidates announced their bids for higher office, but Dolezal and Sen. Bill Cowsert have campaigned on holding Willis accountable. 

The committee also questioned Willis about her office structure during the four-hour-long meeting.