Georgia senators find little oversight over how Fani Willis spends taxpayer dollars: 'Like the Wild West'

Georgia lawmakers heard grounds Friday that caused 1 Republican legislator to explicit interest that there's small oversight of however Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis uses her $36.6 cardinal budget.

State Sen. Bill Cowsert, a Republican representing Athens and president of the committee, questioned Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts and Fulton County Chief Financial Officer Sharon Whittmore astir however the DA's bureau receives and spends its funds. The witnesses testified that Willis has wide discretion implicit those payer dollars, including whether to prosecute a peculiar authoritative and however overmuch they should beryllium paid.

"This is sounding to maine benignant of similar the Wild West, precise small power from Fulton County implicit a $36 cardinal budget," Cowsert said aft asking respective questions astir the region fund process. 

"You don't cognize however overmuch of that is spent connected nonrecreational services, who is hired, however overmuch they're paid per hour, what their full compensation is. Yet you're being asked to supply $36.6 cardinal a twelvemonth that you cognize encompasses a fig of those types of autarkic contractors that you cognize you're backing with nary oversight oregon control, right?" helium asked Whittmore astatine 1 point. 

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Georgia Republican Sen. Bill Cowsert (center back) questioned Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts (center front) and Fulton County Chief Financial Officer Sharon Whittmore (front left) astir however District Attorney Fani Willis' bureau receives and spends payer dollars astatine a proceeding connected Friday, May 3, 2024.  (Screenshot/The Georgia Senate)

"Yeah, the committee of commissioners has nary oversight implicit the territory attorney," the concern main answered. 

Pitts testified that Willis has wide discretion implicit however to walk the funds appropriated for the territory attorney's bureau and said she does not person to get immoderate pre-approval for hiring an autarkic peculiar counsel to assistance with her activities. 

"And [the territory attorney] doesn't person to adjacent study backmost to you however the wealth was spent oregon who was hired arsenic an autarkic contractor and however overmuch they were paid?" Cowsert asked.

"That's correct," Pitts replied. 

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Judge Scott McAfee, left, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, center, and peculiar authoritative Nathan Wade, right. (Getty Images)

The Georgia Senate Special Committee connected Investigations convened its 3rd gathering connected Friday to probe allegations of imaginable conflicts of involvement and imaginable misuse of nationalist funds by Willis, who indicted erstwhile President Trump connected conspiracy charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 statesmanlike predetermination successful Georgia.

Willis is up for re-election this twelvemonth and has denied immoderate wrongdoing. The findings of this legislative probe could pass acts by the Georgia legislature to betterment laws oregon set the authorities appropriations process with the volition of restoring nationalist assurance successful the territory attorney's office, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.

Georgia's GOP-controlled Senate voted successful January to signifier a peculiar committee to analyse Wilis amid revelations she had an ‘improper’ matter with subordinate counsel. 

The peculiar committee has subpoena powerfulness to analyse Willis implicit allegations she hired peculiar authoritative Nathan Wade for the lawsuit due to the fact that of their alleged romanticist relationship.

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Fulton County DA Fani Willis winks earlier being sworn successful to attest connected the proceeding astir an allegedly improper narration with Nathan Wade.  (Screenshot/Fox News)

In January, Trump co-defendant Michael Roman filed tribunal documents alleging that Willis had been having an "improper" matter with Wade, whom she hired to assistance prosecute the 2024 GOP front-runner. Roman and his lawyers reason the narration created a struggle of involvement and that she benefited financially from it successful the signifier of lavish vacations the 2 took utilizing funds his instrumentality steadfast received for moving the case.

Willis has called the allegations "salacious" and said they person nary "merit," though she admitted successful a tribunal filing that she and Wade person been "professional associates and friends since 2019." 

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Fox News Digital's Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.