
(PatriotNews.net) – Fani Willis, Fulton County’s DA, finds herself in hot water, facing a $22,000 fine for dodging Georgia’s open records laws.
At a Glance
- Fulton’s DA violated state open records laws
- Court demands $21,578 payment to Judicial Watch
- Judge criticized Willis’s office for false claims
- Judicial Watch pursued the truth about withheld docs
Fani Willis Reprimanded for Records Law Violation
The Fulton County District Attorney, Fani Willis, has been fined $22,000 after a Georgia court found her guilty of repeatedly violating the state’s open records laws. These violations are particularly egregious because they threaten the very transparency that such laws are designed to uphold. Transparency is crucial for maintaining public trust and accountability within governmental operations.
Judge Robert McBurney found Willis’s office at fault for ignoring open records requests and falsely claiming that no responsive documents existed. The court has instructed Willis to pay $21,578 in attorneys’ fees and costs to Judicial Watch, highlighting the severe consequences of neglecting legal obligations. This decision underscores the mandatory nature of the Open Records Act and echoes the notion that non-compliance will not be tolerated.
Judicial Watch’s Pursuit of Accountability
Judicial Watch, a conservative legal watchdog group, filed the lawsuit after Willis’s office denied possessing any documents relating to communications with special counsel Jack Smith or the House select committee concerning January 6th. The court, however, discovered Willis’s office had at least one non-exempt document—a letter to the committee head—which was initially denied.
“Fani Willis flouted the law, and the court is right to slam her and require, at a minimum, the payment of nearly $22,000 to Judicial Watch, But in the end, Judicial Watch wants the full truth on what she was hiding — her office’s political collusion with the Pelosi January 6 committee to ‘get Trump.’” – Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
Even as Judicial Watch pushed for answers, Willis belatedly acknowledged the existence of some documents but argued they were exempt from disclosure—a claim the court scrutinized thoroughly.
Georgia Judge Orders Fani Willis to Pay Judicial Watch $22,000 in Legal Fees For Her Violation of the Open Records Law | Cristina Laila, The Gateway Pundit
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A Georgia judge ordered Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to pay conservative watchdog group… pic.twitter.com/fPd3xhE0db
— Owen Gregorian (@OwenGregorian) January 8, 2025
Court Takes Firm Stand on Non-Compliance
The court did not shy away from condemning Willis’s office for making false representations and failing to conduct proper searches for the requested records. “Non-compliance has consequences,” declared McBurney, emphasizing the seriousness of following the Open Records Act. This case serves as a stern reminder to all public officials about the importance of adhering to established legal standards.
“Most basically, by operation of law Defendant acknowledged violating the ORA when she defaulted, But actual evidence proves the same: per her Records Custodian’s own admission, the District Attorney’s Office flatly ignored Plaintiff’s original ORA request, conducting no search and simply (and falsely) informing the County’s Open Records Custodian that no responsive records existed.” – McBurney.
Willis now has until January 16th to respond to a motion for a special master to search the agency’s files, with payment due by the next day. The road to restoring public trust depends on sincere commitment from officials to uphold transparency and accountability.
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