Fani Willis Blasts Jim Jordan For Investigating Trump Charges: ‘You Lack A Basic Understanding Of The Law’

Fani Willis Blasts Jim Jordan For Investigating Trump Charges: ‘You Lack A Basic Understanding Of The Law’

Topline

Fani Willis—the Georgia district attorney who charged former President Donald Trump—shot back at Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) after the House committee he chairs opened an investigation into her office in August, accusing the Republican of failing to understand the law and trying to obstruct the criminal proceedings against Trump and his allies.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis watches proceedings during a hearing on Jan. 24 in … [+] Atlanta.

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Key Facts

Jordan sent a letter to Willis that asked for her to turn over information to the House Judiciary Committee, saying lawmakers were investigating whether her prosecution of Trump and his co-defendants for election interference used federal funds, whether she coordinated with federal prosecutors and whether her office improperly “use[d] state criminal law to regulate the conduct of federal officials acting in their official capacities.”

Willis responded Thursday, writing Jordan’s letter “contains inaccurate information and misleading statements” and its “obvious purpose is to obstruct a Georgia criminal proceeding and to advance outrageous partisan misrepresentations.”

The committee’s probe “offends principles of state sovereignty” that give states power over criminal cases and “transgresses” separation of powers by infringing on the Justice Department, Willis wrote, among other legal issues, and she argued “settled constitutional law clearly permits me to ignore your unjustified and illegal intrusion into an open state criminal prosecution.”

Willis also said Jordan’s letter “makes clear that you lack a basic understanding of the law, its practice, and the ethical obligations of attorneys generally and prosecutors specifically,” providing an explanation of a prosecutor’s “basic obligations.”

She advised the lawmaker—whom she called a “non-member of the bar”—to pay $249 for a copy of a book that explains RICO statutes, as she said his understanding of the indictment against Trump and his allies is “misinformed.”

The DA also emphasized Trump is not immune from criminal prosecution and called Jordan’s suggestion the former president and his allies should not have been prosecuted “offensive,” writing, “Here is another reality you must face: Those who wish to avoid felony charges in Fulton County, Georgia … should not commit felonies in Fulton County, Georgia.”

Jordan’s office has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Crucial Quote

“Face this reality, Chairman Jordan: the select group of defendants who you fret over in my jurisdiction are like every other defendant, entitled to no worse or better treatment than any other American citizen,” Willis wrote.

What To Watch For

Jordan noted in his initial letter to the DA that the House Judiciary investigation could result in legislative steps like passing bills regarding immunity for federal officials in state investigations, special counsel authorities or the permissible use of federal funds. Willis fired back at Jordan’s suggestion that lawmakers could strip Willis’ office of their federal funding, noting the office receives federal grants for such programs as processing rape kits, prosecuting hate crimes, reducing community violence and working with at-risk children. “If you and your colleagues follow through on your threats to deny this office federal funds, please be aware that you will be deciding to allow serial rapists to go unprosecuted, hate crimes to be unaddressed, and to cancel programs for at-risk children,” Willis wrote.

Key Background

The House Judiciary investigation into Willis marks the latest instance of the House GOP opening a politically charged investigation into a rival, as lawmakers have also taken steps to investigate President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, along with Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, who brought the first indictment against Trump in New York. Republicans similarly launched an investigation into Bragg, which resulted in him later unsuccessfully suing the committee in an attempt to block a subpoena for his prosecutor Mark Pomeranz. In addition to House lawmakers, Willis has also faced heavy pushback from a subset of Georgia state legislators who have lobbied for her to be impeached or removed from office over her prosecution of Trump and his allies. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) shut down calls from state lawmakers to convene a special session in order to remove Willis from office, saying last week that the state was “going to follow the law in the Constitution regardless of who it helps or harms politically.”

Further Reading

GOP-Led House Judiciary Committee Opens Investigation Into Fani Willis (Forbes)

Who Is Fani Willis? Here’s What To Know About The Fulton County DA Prosecuting Trump. (Forbes)

Georgia Gov. Kemp Rejects Push To Oust Fulton County DA For Charging Trump (Forbes)

Trump Urges Georgia GOP To Impeach Fani Willis For Prosecuting Him—Here’s Why That’s Unlikely (Forbes)

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