Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis received new protection against ethic complaints filed with the county board.
Shortly after a scheduled Fulton County Board of Ethics meeting was abruptly canceled Thursday morning, the board released a statement clarifying that it could not hear any complaints made against Willis because she is an officer of the state, not the county.
“The Fulton County Board of Ethics lacks jurisdiction to hear any Ethics Complaint against Fani T. Willis,” the board said in a statement to Newsweek. “Accordingly, any ethics complaint against the district attorney of any county would be under the exclusive jurisdiction of the State Ethics Commission,” the board said.
The ethics board was expected to discuss two complaints about Willis during Thursday’s meeting, which was halted without notice. The complaints were being brought by Fulton County residents Gregory Mantell and Steven Kramer.
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In its press release, the ethics board said Willis, like all district attorneys, is “an elected state constitutional officer who is a part of the judicial branch of state government,” and thus does not fall under the Fulton County Code of Ethics, which applies only to county officers and employees.
“The Fulton County District Attorney does not fall within the definition of a ‘county officer’ as defined in the ethics code,” the ethics board said, adding that Willis’ position and powers are defined under the Georgia State Constitution.
Mantell’s complaint was related to the district attorney’s office’s alleged refusal to release certain financial records related to the invoices paid to special prosecutor Nathan Wade, while Kramer’s complaint was related to how county funds were allocated by Willis’ office. Willis has been under scrutiny after misconduct allegations were made about her appointment of Wade.
Willis and Wade are prosecuting the Fulton County election interference case against former President Donald Trump and his allies. Co-defendant Michael Roman’s attorney argued that Willis’ hiring of Wade, with whom she admitted to having a relationship, to the case represents a “conflict of interest” and misuse of public funds that should disqualify her office from the case. Willis and Wade, however, maintain their relationship did not begin until after he joined the prosecution.
Although the ethics board will not hear complaints about Willis, she is facing heat from a legislative committee in the Georgia Senate and defense attorneys in the Trump case.
The Senate committee investigating Willis held its first hearing on Wednesday and the evidentiary hearings green-lit by Judge Scott McAfee wrapped up last week. McAfee is expected to make a decision about whether or not Willis will be disqualified in the coming weeks.
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