Fani Willis ordered to pay $54K in Trump case for breaking Georgia’s open records laws

A Georgia judge ordered Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to pay $54,000 in fines for violating open records laws related to an election interference case.

Willis had led the criminal case against President Donald Trump over allegations that he illegally attempted to overturn the official results of the 2020 presidential election. In December, she was removed from the case over her affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who also stepped down.

‘Proud that we have judges willing to hold people in power accountable’

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rachel Krause said that Willis had been “hostile” to a records request from attorney Ashleigh Merchant and “intentionally” violated state laws on open records. Krause said Willis must pay $54,264 in court and attorney fees to Merchant, who had filed to disqualify Willis.

Merchant represents Michael Roman, a former campaign staffer of the 2020 Trump presidential campaign.

The judge cited testimony from Deputy District Attorney Dexter Bond, which proved that the request from Merchant was treated differently from others received by the office.

“Mr. Bond’s handling of Ms. Merchant’s requests in this manner indicates a lack of good faith,” the order read. “Defendants’ failures were intentional, not done in good faith, and were substantially groundless and vexatious.”

The district attorney’s office is also ordered to show efforts to appropriately follow through with the document search requested.

Merchant praised the ruling on social media.

“Proud that we have judges willing to hold people in power accountable when they ignore the law!!!!” she wrote.

Despite the controversies surrounding her involvement in the Trump case, Willis overwhelmingly won re-election against a Republican challenger in November. She won with 68% support against only 32% for her competitor in the Democratic stronghold.

Willis has been given 30 days to pay the fine, but the DA’s office told WSB-TV that it was going to appeal the decision.

Trump and other defendants in the case have pleaded not guilty.

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