Georgia court orders Fani Willis to search for more Trump-related records
Affidavit orders new search for records in Trump case against DA Fani Willis
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A Georgia state court has mandated Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to conduct a fresh search for records pertaining to her criminal case against former President Donald Trump after ruling that her initial search methods were inadequate.
The recent order issued by a Fulton County Superior Court judge follows a prolonged effort by the conservative watchdog Judicial Watch to obtain communications between Willis’ office and the Jan. 6 select committee, as well as former special counsel Jack Smith’s team.
The court’s decision marks another setback for Willis, who was previously directed to pay approximately $22,000 in legal fees to Judicial Watch in January for inadequately responding to the watchdog’s initial open records requests.
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District Attorney Fani Willis at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 1, 2024. (Alex Slitz/AP/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, revealed to Fox News Digital that his organization has been pursuing Willis’ communications due to concerns that the district attorney may have improperly collaborated with the federal government to charge Trump in connection with the 2020 election.
“The lawsuit aims to uncover any collusion and coordination with Congress and the Justice Department, Jack Smith, and although we haven’t seen the documents, their existence suggests some level of communication,” Fitton explained.
Fitton further emphasized that any interactions between Willis and the Jan. 6 committee or Smith could indicate a lack of independence in Willis’ work, characterizing her indictment against Trump and 18 others as a “political operation” rather than a genuine, unbiased process.
“If Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff are overseeing this investigation, its credibility is certainly questionable,” Fitton added, referring to the former Democratic House speaker and a member of the Democrat-led Jan. 6 committee, respectively.
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Rep. Adam Schiff speaks to reporters as he departs the final meeting of the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol on Capitol Hill on Dec. 19, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
The judge’s order was prompted by an affidavit submitted by Willis that failed to address searches conducted on key devices belonging to former Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade and chief investigator Michael Hill, both crucial figures in gathering evidence related to the investigation into Trump’s alleged interference in the 2020 election in Georgia.
The court expressed concerns that communications might have been overlooked and instructed Willis to provide a more comprehensive report on her search methods within 14 days, specifically addressing the protocols used for Hill and Wade’s records.
Former special prosecutor Nathan Wade arrives before Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks after winning the Democratic primary on May 21, 2024, in Buckhead, Georgia. (Brynn Anderson/Associated Press)
In March 2025, Willis was directed to produce 212 pages of records that were initially denied by her office but later discovered. However, the latest order demands clarification on the search procedures employed for Hill and Wade’s records.
Willis has come under intense scrutiny from defense attorneys and the Georgia state legislature regarding her handling of the Trump investigation and prosecution.
Although Willis brought racketeering and other charges against Trump and 18 co-defendants in August 2023 over the 2020 election, the case experienced significant reductions due to plea agreements and dropped charges.
Following the Georgia Court of Appeals’ decision disqualifying Willis from the case due to her undisclosed relationship with Wade, the case has been indefinitely put on hold.
