DA Fani Willis Just Found Out She’s Not Above the Law [WATCH]

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been ordered to pay over $54,000 in attorney’s fees and turn over withheld documents after a judge ruled that her office violated Georgia’s Open Records Act.

The ruling, issued Friday by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Rachel Krause, found that Willis’ office intentionally withheld public documents related to the prosecution of President Donald Trump.

BREAKING: Fani Willis has been ordered to pay $54,000 for violating open records laws in Case against President Trump.

FAFO. pic.twitter.com/pcOXGE0bOX

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 17, 2025

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The decision comes after attorney Ashleigh Merchant filed an open records request seeking information regarding Willis’ professional conduct, including her relationship with a prosecutor she appointed to Trump’s case.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Merchant filed the request in September 2023 but said she was “completely stonewalled” by Willis’ office.

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The request sought multiple sets of records, including non-disclosure agreements required of DA’s office employees, a list of attorneys hired by Willis since taking office, and financial records related to a contract with a New York-based media monitoring service.

Judge Krause determined that Willis’ office failed to comply with the law and stated in her ruling that the DA’s office’s actions “were intentional, not done in good faith, and were substantially groundless and vexatious.”

As a result of the ruling, the DA’s office is now required to cover attorney fees and litigation expenses for Merchant, her husband, John, and the couple’s paralegal, who worked on obtaining the records.

The court order also highlighted the testimony of Dexter Bond, the Open Records Custodian for the DA’s office, who was found to have treated Merchant’s request differently from others.

Proud that we have judges willing to hold people in power accountable when they ignore the law!!!! #faniwillis #openrecords #fultoncounty https://t.co/r1FFPMFf6J

— Ashleigh Merchant (@AshleighMerchan) March 14, 2025

Fox News reported that Bond was “openly hostile” toward Merchant and admitted that his usual practice of contacting requestors for clarification was not followed in this case.

Instead, he refused to communicate with Merchant by phone.

“While there is no requirement under the ORA for Mr. Bond to call any requestor about a particular request, Mr. Bond’s handling of Ms. Merchant’s requests in this manner indicates a lack of good faith,” the court order stated.

“Defendants’ failures were intentional, not done in good faith, and were substantially groundless and vexatious.”

This decision is a rare victory for those seeking transparency from government agencies, particularly in a high-profile case like this one.

The controversy surrounding Willis’ office has grown following allegations that she engaged in an inappropriate relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she appointed to Trump’s case.

The ruling also raises further questions about how Willis’ office has handled public records requests related to the case against Trump and whether there was an effort to conceal information from the public.

With the court order now in place, Willis’ office must comply with Georgia’s Open Records Act and release the requested documents.

The ruling may also fuel further scrutiny of her conduct as district attorney as legal battles over the Trump case continue.

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