A collection of state lawmakers in Georgia are, in the wake of Fulton County DA Fani Willis’ indictment of former President Donald Trump and his mugshot being taken, mobilizing to try and remove DA Willis from her position before she can further torment Trump by prosecuting him and his allies.
As background, DA Willis indicted Trump and more than a dozen of his allies and legal team from 2020 over his claims about the election and his attempts to find a way to overturn it by dealing with what he alleged was fraud that occurred during the election.
Though DA Willis has claimed that her prosecution of the former president was not politically motivated, many on the right claim that it is, particularly as the mugshot of the former president seems like a clear attempt to humiliate him headed into the 2024 primary and election.
And so state GOP lawmakers are mobilizing to pressure Governor Kemp to reign in DA Willis. Reporting on that, Newsweek said, “Soon after the indictment against Trump and others was filed, discussions were underway to have Willis removed from office or face investigations and impeachment hearings over allegations of a partisan probe against the former president and frontrunner in the 2024 GOP primary.”
Governor Brian Kemp, for his part, has announced that his office established the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission (PAQC), which will start accepting complaints about prosecutors on October 1 of this year.
Speaking about the commission, Governor Kemp said, “As hardworking law enforcement officers routinely put their lives on the line to investigate, confront, and arrest criminal offenders, I won’t stand idly by as they’re met with resistance from rogue or incompetent prosecutors who refuse to uphold the law.”
Continuing, he added that the goal is to reign in out-of-control, politically motivated prosecutors, which would likely include, in the minds of many Republicans, DA Willis. He said, “The creation of the PAQC will help hold prosecutors driven by out-of-touch politics than commitment to their responsibilities accountable and make our communities safer.”
But that is far from enough for the GOP lawmakers in the state, who want more direct action taken much faster. State Senator Clint Dixon, for example, said, “I’m frustrated by the Fulton County indictments handed down last week. This is clearly all about Fani Willis and her unabashed goal to become some sort of leftist celebrity. While some have called for a Special Session, that’s not a legitimate option to hold her accountable. There is no legal action that the Legislature can take to stop Fani Willis’ bad behavior. The Legislature does not have control over her office or funding. And even if the legislature was empowered to act, calling a Special Session requires a 3/5s majority of the legislature, meaning Democrats would have to go on the record in opposition of their aspiring super star. This reality is one of the reasons we passed a law this year to hold rogue District Attorneys accountable. Once the Prosecutorial Oversight Committee is is appointed in October, we can call on them to investigate and take action against Fani Willis and her efforts that weaponize the justice system against political opponents. This is our best measure, and I will be ready to call for that investigation.”
In another post, State Senator Dixon said, “There are some 250 accused murderers in Fulton County right now, and a lot of them sitting in Fulton County jail. They have had 4 deaths this month in the same jail. This is unacceptable. Instead of doing her job, District Attorney Fani Willis is focused on politicizing the justice system to further her agenda and ambition. It’s time to hold her and any DA who refuses to do their job accountable.”
That came after he highlighted the attacks on him for calling for DA Willis to be held accountable, saying, “ICYMI. This week I called for Fulton Co. District Attorney Fani Willis to be held accountable through the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission that will be established in October. Instead of focusing on political charades to raise her celebrity, Fani should be focused on the prosecution of the 250 accused murderers sitting inside the Fulton County jail. It seems like common-sense to me. When leftwing activists start texting my wife with threats and woke publications like Vanity Fair start attacking me, we must be doing something right. I appreciate all the support out there.”
Governor Kemp, for his part, resisted efforts to impeach her, saying, “Up to this point, I have not seen any evidence that DA Willis’ actions or lack thereof warrant action by the prosecuting attorney oversight commission. As long as I’m governor, we are going to follow the law and the Constitution — regardless of who it helps politically.”
Featured image credit: By U.S. Embassy Jerusalem – https://www.flickr.com/photos/usembassyjlm/52919573258/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=135023136
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