Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been ordered to pay over $54,000 for violating state open records laws in connection with the prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
On Friday, Superior Court Judge Rachel Krause issued a formal ruling requiring Willis to pay $54,264 in attorney fees and litigation costs. The ruling follows Willis’ failure to provide requested documents to Ashleigh Merchant, the attorney who had filed a motion to disqualify Willis from prosecuting Trump on charges of alleged interference with the 2020 presidential election.
Judge Krause stated that Willis’ office had intentionally withheld records related to the employment of Nathan Wade, a former special assistant district attorney who had been removed from the Trump case due to a romantic relationship with Willis. Merchant had raised concerns that both Willis and Wade might have financially benefited from Wade’s appointment as a special prosecutor.
The court order noted that the defendants, through Open Records custodian Dexter Bond, were openly uncooperative with Merchant, stating that her requests were handled differently than others. Bond testified that he typically contacted requestors to clarify or obtain more information to fulfill requests, but he refused to engage with Merchant by phone, according to the ruling.
While the Open Records Act does not require Bond to make such calls, the court found that his refusal to communicate with Merchant indicated bad faith. The judge further stated that the defendants’ actions were deliberate, not in good faith, and amounted to groundless and vexatious conduct.
Merchant responded to the ruling in a post on social media, expressing pride in having judges who are willing to hold powerful figures accountable when they disregard the law.
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