Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis (D) penned a scathing letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) after he asked her to turn over all documents related to her prosecution of former President Trump and 18 others on charges related to election interference.
The nine-page letter at turns accuses Jordan of “offend[ing]” Constitutional principals with “your attempt to interfere with and obstruction this office’s prosecution,” suggests he buy a book on racketeering prosecution at the price offered for non-attorneys and casts her response as voluntary as “settled constitutional law clearly permits me to ignore your unjustified and illegal intrusion.”
“Your attempt to invoke congressional authority to intrude upon and interfere with an active criminal case in Georgia is flagrantly at odds with the Constitution,” Willis wrote in a letter first reported by the Atlanta Journal–Constitution and also obtained by The Hill.
“There is absolutely no support for Congress purporting to second guess or somehow supervise an ongoing Georgia criminal investigation and prosecution. That violation of Georgia’s sovereignty is offensive and will not stand.”
At another point she suggested Jordan’s letter was a “bull[ying] by members of Congress” and suggested he push to investigate threats against her.
Willis’s letter is a response to an August letter from Jordan sent just hours before Trump was set to report to a Fulton County jail.
Jordan, who has sent similar letters to each of the prosecutorial entities investigating Trump, asked Willis to turn over all records related to her work and also asked if she had communicated with special counsel Jack Smith.
In another portion of the letter, Willis tells Jordan he must “deal with some basic realities.”
“A Special Purpose Grand Jury made up of everyday citizens investigated for 10 months and made recommendations to me. A further reality is that a grand jury of completely different Fulton County citizens found probable cause against the defendants named in the indictment for RICO violations and various other felonies,” she wrote, using an abbreviation for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute.
“Here is another reality you must face: Those who wish to avoid felony charges in Fulton County, Georgia — including violations of Georgia RICO law — should not commit felonies in Fulton County, Georgia. In this jurisdiction, every person is subject to the same laws and the same process.”
Willis also takes a series of shots at Jordan’s knowledge of the law, at one point breaking down the “basic obligations” of a prosecutor and at another turn writing to provide the Judiciary chairman a “brief tutorial” on RICO law.
“Your letter makes clear that you lack a basic understanding of the law, its practice, and the ethical obligations of attorneys generally and prosecutors specifically,” she wrote.
After suggesting Jordan was “misinformed” about the details included in her indictment, she pointed him to other resources.
“For a more thorough understanding of Georgia’s RICO statute, its application and similar laws in other states, I encourage you to read ‘RICO State-by-State.’ As a non-member of the bar, you can purchase a copy for two hundred forty-nine dollars [$249].”
Willis also pushed back on questions from Jordan into the timing of her investigation, noting she was slowed by resistance to subpoena compliance by current and former members of Congress, and called claims that her prosecution of Trump was politically motivated could not be further from the truth.
Willis capped her correspondence with a suggestion that Jordan should investigate threats to her office
“As it seems you have a personal interest in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, you should consider directing the USDOJ to investigate the racist threats that have come to my staff and me because of this investigation,” she said, attaching examples of 10 such incidents.
“I am providing these examples to give you a window into what has happened to my staff and me as I keep the promise of my oath to the United States and Georgia Constitutions and do not allow myself to be bullied by members of Congress, local elected officials, or other who believe lady justice should not be blind and that America has different laws for different citizens.”
Updated at 1:14 p.m.