Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis refused to respond to a public records lawsuit seeking documentation of her communications with Special Counsel Jack Smith.
Conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch petitioned the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia, to issue a default judgment against Fani Willis after she failed to address its lawsuit concerning communications with Jack Smith and the January 6 Committee.
Last year, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan launched an investigation into whether Willis coordinated with federal officials during her extensive investigation into Trump and his associates.
In his correspondence to Fani Willis, Chairman Jordan requested all records and communications exchanged between the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice (DOJ), including the Office of Special Counsel Jack Smith, pertaining to the investigation of President Trump and the other eighteen indicted individuals.
In response to Jim Jordan’s letter to Fani Willis, Judicial Watch filed a request for records of her communications with Jack Smith, under the Georgia Open Records Act.
From Judicial Watch:
Judicial Watch announced today that it asked the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia, to declare a default judgment against District Attorney Fani Willis in Judicial Watch’s lawsuit seeking records of communications Willis had with Special Counsel Jack Smith and the House January 6 Committee.
The lawsuit was filed in the Superior Court of Fulton County, GA, after Willis and the county denied having any records responsive to an August 2023 Georgia Open Records Act request for communications with the Special Counsel’s office and/or the January 6 Committee (Judicial Watch Inc. v. Fani Willis et al.(No. 24-CV-002805)). (Judicial Watch dismissed Fulton County from the lawsuit.)
In its motion Judicial Watch noted that Willis was served with the lawsuit on March 11, 2024, but that she has not yet answered it:
Defendant has not filed an answer and no answer has been served upon [Judicial Watch].… Defendant’s answer was due 30 days after service, or on April 10, 2024. Pursuant to [Georgia law] the case automatically became in default when an answer was not filed by the due date. Further pursuant to that Code section, Defendant was permitted as a matter of right to open the default within 15 days of the day of default, or by April 25, 2024.
Judicial Watch asserts it is now entitled to a verdict and judgment by default.
Watch:
BREAKING: Fani Willis Fails to Answer Public Records Lawsuit – @JudicialWatch Files Motion for ‘Default Judgment’
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) May 7, 2024
I think this is the first time in Judicial Watch’s thirty years that a government official failed to answer an open records lawsuit in court. This further shows Ms.… pic.twitter.com/vCN2w8TlJF
On Monday, Fani Willis told a reporter that she will not testify before the Georgia Senate investigative committee because it is “unlawful.”
“Well, first of all I don’t even think they have the authority to subpoena me but they need to learn the law,” Willis replied when asked by the reporter if she would testify.
“I will not appear to do anything that is unlawful. And I have not broken the law in any way. I’ve said it. I’ll say it among these leaders I’m sorry folks these people get pissed off that everybody gets treated equally.”
Watch:
🚨 Big Fani Willis REFUSES to testify before Georgia Senate committee investigating her
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 6, 2024
pic.twitter.com/BPkfFnki9Z
