Fani Willis
A recent investigation by the Department of Justice has uncovered suspected “Inconsistencies” in Fani Willis’ management of specific Federal Grant funds.
Election interference
The Fulton County District Attorney rose to national fame for spearheading the investigation into election interference in Georgia, particularly concerning former President Donald Trump.
Conversation
Her investigation focused on a phone conversation between Trump and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, where Trump urged him to “find” enough votes to influence the election outcome in his favor.
Investigation
The investigation also looked into the purported scheme to present a fake list of pro-Trump electors to the Electoral College.
Donald Trump
Donald Trump entered a plea of not guilty to all accusations and accused Willis of targeting him for political motives.
Trump investigation
Following the initiation of the Trump investigation, Willis has faced heightened scrutiny, particularly from Republican opponents. Congressional Republicans have raised issues regarding her handling of federal funds.
Washington Free Beacon
The Department of Justice disclosed in a statement initially reported by The Washington Free Beacon that discrepancies were identified in her utilization of these funds.
Inconsistencies
A spokesperson from the Department of Justice informed the conservative media outlet “during our review of the award to respond to this inquiry, we have noticed some inconsistencies in what Fulton County has reported to [the Federal Subaward Reporting System] and we are working with them to update their reporting accordingly.”
Not verified
The exact nature of the discrepancies discovered, the original purpose of the grant, and how the funds were potentially utilized were not verified.
Newsweek
Newsweek reached out to Willis’ office and the Department of Justice for a response via email. Willis had previous conflicts with Representative Jim Jordan, the Ohio Republican heading the House Judiciary Committee, regarding her office’s handling of grant funds.
Subpoena
In February, Jordan and the House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena to Willis’ office for documents related to the acquisition and expenditure of federal funds. They also warned of potential contempt of Congress charges if she did not furnish the requested documents by March 28.
Substantial information
In her written response, Willis mentioned that her office had already provided “substantial information” concerning the federally sponsored initiatives. The letter added, “further, as I expressed to you in my letter dated February 23, 2024, this office is in the process of producing relevant documents to you on a rolling basis and is undertaking a good faith approach to provide you with responsive information about our federal grant funding.”
Document demands
Additionally, her office expressed that Jordan’s “extensive document demands,” were deemed as unreasonable and uncommon, as fulfilling them would divert resources from the primary focus of prosecuting criminal activities.
Jordan’s actions
She emphasized that Jordan’s actions would not impede the progress of Trump’s election interference trial.
Scrutiny
At present, Willis faces scrutiny from both the Department of Justice and Congress to provide clarity on certain aspects of the $488,000 grant allocated to her agency.
Gang activity
The grant was intended to support a juvenile center as a component of Fulton County’s initiatives to prevent gang activity.