Fani Willis Ordered to Pay $54K for Violating Law in Trump Case
https://truthpress.com/news/fani-willis-ordered-to-pay-54k-for-violating-law-in-trump-case/?utm_source=truthpress.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=fani-willis-found-guilty&_bhlid=21c8224b6d457e19b2bc8dd60de7103e2c132453
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been ordered to pay over $54,000 in attorney fees and expenses after a court ruled that her office violated Georgia’s Open Records Act (ORA) in a case related to President Donald Trump.
The ruling, which was handed down by a Georgia court on Friday, found that Willis and her office failed to comply with open records requests within the legally required timeframe, acting without “substantial justification” in withholding the requested information. As a result, the court awarded Ashleigh Merchant $54,103.23 in attorney fees and litigation expenses.
The ruling stems from a dispute with defense attorney Merchant, who represents Michael Roman, a co-defendant in the election interference case against President Donald Trump. Merchant had requested records related to the case, but the D.A.’s office failed to provide them, leading the judge to find the office “openly hostile” and lacking “good faith” in handling the requests.
The county’s Superior Court Judge Rachel Krause also mandated that specific public records be produced within 30 days, warning that additional penalties could be imposed if Willis and her office fail to comply. The case centered on whether the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office was subject to the Open Records Act, a question that was answered definitively by the court.
Citing the Georgia Supreme Court’s ruling in Gonzalez v. Miller, the court reaffirmed that Willis, as the head of the District Attorney’s Office, is the custodian of public records and is responsible for ensuring compliance with ORA regulations. Crucially, Willis’s office did not assert that any of the requested records were exempt from disclosure.
Instead, the court found that her office simply failed to provide the requested documents within the legally required three business days, in direct violation of state law.
Merchant, who requested the public records from Willis’s office, filed a legal challenge after receiving no timely response. Krause determined that the District Attorney’s Office had no substantial justification for its non-compliance, which triggered penalties under the law.
“Defendants — through the Open Records custodian, Dexter Bond — were openly hostile to counsel for Plaintiff, Ms. Merchant, and testified that Ms. Merchant’s requests were handled differently than other requests,” the order read.
“Proud that we have judges willing to hold people in power accountable when they ignore the law!!!!” Merchant wrote on X Friday.
As a result of the violation, the court ordered Willis’s office to cover the legal costs incurred by the plaintiff in pursuing the case, and retains jurisdiction over the matter and has the authority to impose further sanctions if Willis’s office continues to delay or withhold records.
In addition to the financial penalty, the judge ordered Willis’s office to produce several key documents within 30 days. Among the records to be disclosed are non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) signed by individuals involved in the case, as well as a list of attorneys hired by the District Attorney’s Office in connection to Trump-related prosecutions.
Failure to comply with the order could result in additional legal consequences for Willis and her office, as the court has explicitly stated it will continue to monitor compliance and consider further penalties if necessary.
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