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Fulton County DA asks judge to remove attorney for alternate GOP electors
The office of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis filed a motion claiming one of the lawyers in the case never told electors about the offers and she should be removed from the case.
ATLANTA - The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office has offered immunity deals to some alternate GOP electors who cast phony Electoral College votes for then President Donald Trump following the 2020 election. The deal comes as part of the ongoing probe about election interference of Trump and others.
The DA’s office filed a motion claiming one of the lawyers in the case never told electors about the offers, and she should be removed from the case.
Georgia State University law professor Clark Cunningham has watched the special grand jury investigation of Trump closely. He says the latest court filing from District Attorney Fani Willis, asking a judge to disqualify the attorney representing 10 alternate Georgia electors who all cast phony votes for Donald Trump, could be explosive.
"It certainly looks like the district attorney is getting very close to indicting people," Cunningham said.
For some 8 months, a who’s who of political leaders testified before the special grand jury.
In February, it finished its work and "voted to recommend that its report be published"
After hearing arguments for and against releasing the report from media lawyers and Fulton County prosecutors, Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who oversaw the special grand jury, ordered most of the report would remain sealed while the criminal investigation of Trump and others continues.
Willis’ motion is asking Judge McBurney to disqualify attorney Kimberly Burroughs Debrow, who is representing 10 of the electors. Prosecutors allege Debrow failed to inform her clients about those potential immunity deals last summer.
"That’s kind of the way you, ah, prosecutors start to take apart a big criminal conspiracy is they get people who are sort of lower down in the food chain to cooperate in exchange for a promise that they themselves won’t be prosecuted," Cunningham said.
Debrow responded to inquiries from the FOX 5 I-Team stating:
"The DA's Motion is baseless, false, and offensive. None of my clients have committed any crimes, and they necessarily have not implicated themselves or each other in any crimes.
"This is now the second attempt by the Fulton County District Attorney's Office to misuse a disqualification motion in furtherance of its politically motivated investigation. Thankfully, each interview referred to was recorded, and the Court will be able to hear for itself how the DA's Office has completely misrepresented the facts.
"I have ethically and professionally represented my clients at all times, and I will continue to do so."
A second defense attorney in the case, Holly Pierson says the DA’s allegations are "entirely false" and the court already has documents in its possession that will prove they are false.
"I think we’re in for a couple of interesting weeks ahead," Cunningham said.
The motion also claims several electors accused a fellow elector of breaking the law. Since the same lawyer, Kimberly Burroughs Debrow represents both the accused and the accusers; Willis writes it is an "ethical mess".
Now, the legal battle fight will go before Judge Robert McBurney.