(DCWatchdog.com) – In a controversial case that continues to affect former President Donald Trump’s trial for allegedly election meddling, the Fulton County Board of Ethics dismissed two complaints against Fani Willis just before a meeting scheduled for their consideration.
The board opted out of reviewing the complaints and found a lack of authority to enforce the code of ethics against Willis, as she is a state constitutional officer. The meeting agenda initially featured two ethics complaints against Willis but was later modified to exclude them.
Atlanta News First reporter Doug Reardon posted a video where a member of the board clarified, “The Fulton County Code of Ethics only applies to county officers and employees. The Fulton County district attorney does not fall within the definition of a county officer.”
Gregory Mantell, who manages the Substack blog Investigative News Service, filed one complaint, citing “the DA’s illegal refusal to release certain financial records, including Nathan Wade’s invoices, under Georgia’s public records law.”
Likewise, Fulton County resident Steven Kramer filed the other complaint, as per the agenda.
Defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant, who filed a disqualification motion for Willis on behalf of Trump co-defendant Michael Roman in January testified on her discovery of the district attorney’s relationship with Nathan Wade during a Georgia State Senate hearing.
The Georgia Senate Special Committee on Investigations held its first meeting on Feb. 9.
Its goal was to “thoroughly investigate the allegations of misconduct by the district attorney for Fulton County, Fani Willis, relating to potential conflicts of interest and misuse of public funds, to enact new or amend existing laws and/or change state appropriations to restore public confidence in the criminal justice system.”
Judge Scott McAfee stated after concluding arguments on the motion to disqualify Willis and expressed intentions to issue a ruling within two weeks.
Willis neglected to disclose in her 2022 financial disclosure form plane tickets paid for by Wade and other purchases he made on her behalf. As previously reported by the Daily Caller News Foundation, this form required disclosure of any gift or favor from a “prohibited source” exceeding $100.
“The State Ethics Code specifically references its application to district attorneys. Accordingly, any ethics complaint against the district attorney of any county would be under the exclusive jurisdiction of the State Ethics Commission,” the board stated.
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