Things are taking a troubling turn for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
The Fulton County Commission has made significant changes to its ethics and anti-nepotism policies, potentially complicating the legal landscape for the District Attorney amidst her high-profile case against former President Donald Trump. The revised policy now includes provisions that could lead to new complaints against elected officials like Willis.The county commission said on Friday that all elected officials who receive county funds will now be subjected to these standards. The change was spurred by previous incidents that seemed to escape the ethics committee’s purview, including a controversial matter involving DA Willis herself.
According to the Fulton County Commission, these modifications were necessary to ensure that everyone is held to the same standards of integrity. “The ethics policy was extended to all types of elected officials in Fulton County that received Fulton County funds,” Commissioner Bob Ellis explained to Rough Draft Atlanta. The adjustment follows the news of the ethics complaint concerning Willis that had been dismissed earlier because the code did not then apply to the District Attorney.Simultaneously, an anti-nepotism policy has been fortified to prevent conflicts of interest within the county’s administration. This policy revision comes on the heels of various allegations of misconduct within Fulton County’s governance, spotlighting the need for stringent ethical guidelines. These changes could have serious consequences for Willis. She has been under the microscope for having a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, a key prosecutor in the Trump case. The relationship was cited in past ethics complaints that were ultimately dropped due to jurisdictional issues.Under the new rules, as reported by Newsweek, any elected or appointed official whose department or agency receives county funding will be subject to the ethics board’s scrutiny. This includes Willis, whose office is funded by the county. Several prominent Republicans believe that Willis’ actions should be closely reevaluated under these updated rules. The ethics complaints previously raised against Willis involved allegations of personal benefit from public funds, specifically relating to her relationship with Wade.Willis has been investigating former President Trump and his associates for their activities surrounding the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. The investigation is particularly focused on a phone call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he suggested that Raffensperger could “find” enough votes to overturn the election results in the state.The case probes whether there were any violations of state law in these efforts to change the election outcome, including potential criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and possible conspiracy. If charged and convicted, those involved could face serious penalties under Georgia law.
While the updated policies are not retroactive—meaning past complaints against Willis might not be reopened—they establish a clearer framework for addressing such issues in the future according to Bob Ellis. The county’s ethics board now has the authority to handle complaints against a broader array of officials, potentially increasing the accountability for those in high positions.This case is one of several legal challenges facing Trump, including others in New York and potentially at the federal level.
