Hours before Donald Trump is set to surrender to authorities in Georgia on charges accusing the former president of orchestrating a scheme to try and overturn the state’s election results in 2020, one of his top allies in Congress is launching an inquiry into the local prosecutor that brought the charges against him.
The Republican-led House Judiciary Committee on Thursday formally initiated an investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over the Trump probe. In a letter sent to Willis on Thursday, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, pressed Willis on whether her office coordinated with Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith, who is overseeing two separate criminal trials into the former president, as well as if federal funds were used in her probe.
“Your indictment and prosecution implicate substantial federal interests, and the circumstances surrounding your actions raise serious concerns about whether they are politically motivated,” Jordan charged in the letter, before calling it "noteworthy" that Wilis "launched a new campaign fundraising website that highlighted your investigation into" Trump just four days before the indictment came down.
That was far from the only time Jordan mentioned the timing in the case, with the Ohio Republican charging that it "reinforces concerns" about Willis' "motivation."
"In February 2021, news outlets reported that you directed your office to open an investigation into President Trump," he wrote. "Indeed, sometime on or around February 11, 2021, your office purportedly sent a letter to several Republican officials in Georgia, requesting that they preserve documents relating to a “matter . . . of high priority” that your office was investigating.
"Yet, you did not bring charges until two-and-a-half years later, at a time when the campaign for the Republican presidential nomination is in full swing," he continued. "Moreover, you have requested that the trial in this matter begin on March 4, 2024, the day before Super Tuesday and eight days before the Georgia presidential primary. It is therefore unsurprising many have speculated that this indictment and prosecution are designed to interfere with the 2024 presidential election."
Jordan asked Willis to turn over documents related to use of federal funds, coordination with the Justice Department and communication with anyone in the federal Executive Branch by Sept. 7.
Spectrum News has reached out to the Fulton County District Attorney's office for comment.
"Given the weighty federal interests at stake, the Committee is conducting oversight of this matter to determine whether any legislative reforms are appropriate or necessary," Jordan wrote. "Such reforms could include changes to the federal officer removal statute, immunities for federal officials, the permissible use of federal funds, the authorities of special counsels, and the delineation of prosecutorial authority between federal and local officials."
Trump and 18 of his allies were charged earlier this month in a 41-count indictment, accused of launching a "criminal enterprise" to overturn the state's 2020 presidential election results. Several of the former president's top allies, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, have already surrendered to authorities in recent days.
Trump faces 13 felony charges, including violation of the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer and numerous conspiracy charges. The RICO charge carries a minimum of five years in prison. It’s the fourth time in 4½ months Trump has been indicted.
The former president has denied wrongdoing in the case, calling it politically motivated and repeatedly slamming Willis.