Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis challenged a new subpoena in court on Thursday, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The subpoena, issued by the Republican-dominated Senate Special Committee on Investigations, has become a point of contention in Georgia.
The legal showdown featured Willis’ personal attorney, former Governor Roy Barnes, presenting arguments on her behalf. The central issue at stake is whether the Senate committee has the jurisdiction to enforce her testimony, a point Willis and Barnes, both Democrats, contest. The conflict, simmering for months, now heads to a critical juncture as they argue against the validity of the subpoena and the potential for contempt charges.
Bill Cowsert, the Athens Republican leading the Senate committee, is firm in his belief about the committee’s powers. He said, “The law is clear,” confident that his panel has the legal authority to compel Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to appear. “The legislative branch has the inherent power to investigate and to utilize subpoenas.”
The committee was established earlier this year amid efforts by nine defendants in an election case, including former President Donald Trump, to disqualify District Attorney Willis. They cited Willis’ romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the private attorney she later appointed