Fani Willis could refuse to testify before Republican-led senate investigation committee
ATLANTA - Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis says she will refuse to appear before a Republican-led Georgia Senate investigative committee.
After the committee chairman threatened to subpoena Willis, she told FOX 5’s Rob DiRienzo at a news conference on Monday he couldn’t.
"First of all, I don’t think they even have the authority to subpoena me, but they need to learn the law," she said.
Willis said she wouldn’t go on her own accord either.
"I will not appear to anything that is unlawful, and I have not broken the law," she said. "I’ve said it amongst these leaders, I’m sorry folks get pissed off that everybody gets treated equally."
The leaders she spoke of were a group of faith leaders who had gathered to emphatically endorse Willis for re-election on the steps of Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
"Your name will go into the annals of history both in heaven and on earth," Rev. Anthony Motely said.
In the middle of her historic indictment of Former President Trump for allegedly conspiring to subvert the results of the election, she’s also running her own re-election campaign.
She didn’t comment on former Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade’s new interview, but slammed the State Senate’s investigation into any misconduct during their relationship.
Fulton Commission Chairman Robb Pitts appeared before the committee on Monday.
Meanwhile, the likelihood of the Trump trial’s completion before the November election has almost entirely diminished.
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The committee chairman, State Sen. Bill Cowsert, told FOX 5 in a phone interview following Willis’ news conference that he maintains that the committee has the legal power to compel her testimony.
He said she could be held in contempt if she refuses to cooperate.
"I sure hope it doesn’t get to that," Cowsert said.
Later in the day, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones all but dared Willis not to show.
"If subpoenaed by the Committee, she will be required to appear, or she will be in violation of Georgia law," Jones said in an email. "This is what treating everybody evenly looks like, even if DA Willis doesn’t like being held accountable."
Cowsert said the committee, which held its third meeting last week, could issue the subpoena in a matter of months.