Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been ordered to pay over $54,000 in legal fees for violating Georgia’s Open Records Act, following her failure to provide public records requested by defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant. Merchant represents Michael Roman, a former Trump campaign official and one of the co-defendants in the high-profile 2020 election interference case in Georgia.
The legal battle stems from Merchant’s request for communications and documentation related to Willis’ hiring of special prosecutor Nathan Wade, with whom Willis allegedly had an undisclosed personal relationship. The documents were part of a broader effort by Roman’s legal team to challenge the legitimacy of the case, claiming a conflict of interest and financial misconduct involving Wade’s appointment.
Willis initially denied Merchant’s requests, prompting a legal challenge that ultimately led a judge to rule in Merchant’s favor, stating that Willis had violated transparency laws by not responding in a timely or lawful manner.
The $54,000 penalty covers legal fees incurred by Merchant in her effort to obtain the records. While the ruling does not directly affect the ongoing racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants, it raises significant ethical and legal concerns around Willis’ handling of the investigation.
The Trump legal team and other co-defendants have seized on the controversy as evidence of political bias and misconduct, attempting to disqualify Willis from the case entirely. Although a previous judge allowed her to remain on the case—provided Wade resigned—this new penalty underscores ongoing questions about transparency, fairness, and accountability in one of the most closely watched legal proceedings in the country.
