Fulton County DA Fani Willis Ordered to Pay Over $54K in Legal Fees Over Open Records Violation
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been ordered by a judge to pay more than $54,000 in legal fees for failing to comply with Georgia’s Open Records Act, marking another legal blow amid her high-profile prosecution of former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case.
According to court documents cited by Newsweek, the penalty stems from a complaint filed by attorney Ashleigh Merchant, who represents Michael Roman, a former Trump campaign and White House aide.
Roman is one of the co-defendants in the 2023 indictment led by Willis, which accuses the group of attempting to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results in favor of Trump—a claim the former president has consistently denied.
Judge Cites “Hostility” and Lack of Transparency
In the ruling issued on Friday, the judge criticized the DA’s office for being “openly hostile” to Merchant’s efforts to access public records and said the requests were “handled differently than other requests,” pointing to a “lack of good faith.”
The court ordered Willis’ office to pay $54,264 in attorney fees, representing nearly 80 hours of work related to the records dispute. Willis has also been given 30 days to turn over the requested documents.
Merchant’s request centered on records linked to Nathan Wade, a former special prosecutor who previously worked on the Trump case.
Wade resigned in 2023 following controversy over his past personal relationship with Willis. Merchant also sought details on how public funds were allocated by the DA’s office—raising broader questions about financial transparency.
Background: Disqualification and Legal Setbacks
This is not the first challenge Willis has faced related to this case. In December, the Georgia Court of Appeals disqualified her from continuing as lead prosecutor, citing the “appearance of impropriety” due to her past relationship with Wade.
The court clarified that while the indictment against Trump remains in place, Willis and her team no longer have legal authority to pursue the case unless the decision is overturned.
In January, Willis filed an appeal to the Georgia Supreme Court, arguing that she had been removed without evidence of an actual conflict of interest or misconduct.
“No Georgia court has ever disqualified a district attorney for the mere appearance of impropriety,” she stated.
Wider Legal and Legislative Ramifications
Willis’ legal difficulties have also drawn the attention of Georgia lawmakers. In March, the Georgia Senate unanimously passed a bill that would allow defendants to seek reimbursement for legal fees if a district attorney is disqualified due to misconduct and the case is dismissed.
This legislation could directly impact Trump and his co-defendants if the case does not proceed further.
Attorney Ashleigh Merchant responded to the court’s latest decision in a social media post, stating:
“Proud that we have judges willing to hold people in power accountable when they ignore the law!”
This isn’t the first time Merchant has clashed with Willis. In a separate open records lawsuit filed in 2023, she accused the DA’s office of concealing records about a taxpayer-funded media monitoring firm.
Although a judge allowed the lawsuit to proceed, Willis was exempted from being personally named in that case.
As of now, the future of the Georgia election interference case remains uncertain, with the appeals process still underway. The growing legal scrutiny around Fani Willis, however, continues to raise questions about transparency and accountability in one of the most closely watched prosecutions in recent U.S. political history.
