House committee subpoenas Fani Willis for records related to her office's use of federal funds

The panel is probing her use of federal funds intended to support at-risk youth.

ByKatherine Faulders and Olivia Rubin ABCNews logo
Friday, February 2, 2024
Fulton County DA Fani Willis defends special prosecutor
One of former President Trump's co-defendants in his Georgia election interference case is seeking to dismiss the indictment against him and disqualify DA Willis.

The House Judiciary Committee has issued a subpoena to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for documents related to her office's use of federal funds intended to support at-risk youth, according to a copy of the subpoena obtained by ABC News.

The video is from a previous report.

The subpoena requests documents and communications related to her office's receipt of federal funds and any documents and communications relating to any allegations of the misuse of those funds by the office.

"According to a recent report, your office unlawfully 'planned to use part of a $488,000 federal grant -- earmarked for the creation of a Center of Youth Empowerment and Gang Prevention'' -- to cover frivolous, unrelated expenses," the subpoena said.

In a statement responding to the subpoena, Willis defended her use of federal funds against allegations of wrongdoing.

"Our federal grant programs are focused on helping at-risk youth and seeking justice for sexual assault victims who were too long ignored," Willis said. "Our federal grant-funded Sexual Assault Kit Initiative has been cited by the United States Attorney General as a model program."

Willis said her grant programs are "highly effective" and that any examination would find that they were "conducted in cooperation with the Department of Justice and in compliance with all Department of Justice requirements."

Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan Jordan sent Willis two previous requests for documents that he says she has ignored.

The committee, in its subpoena, asked that documents be produced by Feb. 23.

The Judiciary Committee has been conducting a broader investigation into Willis' use of federal funds in her investigation into former President Donald Trump and his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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