The Fulton County Superior Court has ruled against District Attorney Fani Willis, ordering her to disclose communications with Special Counsel Jack Smith and the House January 6 Committee. The decision, announced on Tuesday, follows a lawsuit brought by Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, which accused Willis of violating Georgia’s Open Records Act.
The court’s order grants Judicial Watch’s motion for default judgment, directing Willis to search for and release any non-exempt records within five business days. Additionally, the court awarded attorneys’ fees to Judicial Watch, citing Willis’s failure to meet legal requirements for responding to the records request.
The lawsuit stems from a request made by Judicial Watch in August 2023 for all documents and communications between Willis, her office, and Special Counsel Jack Smith, as well as with the House January 6 Committee. Initially, Willis’s office claimed no such records existed. Judicial Watch countered with legal action in March 2024, asserting that Willis’s office failed to produce documents it likely possessed.
Court records reveal that the case encountered procedural hiccups, including confusion over the filing of service documents. Willis’s legal team argued that delays in the court’s electronic docket system caused her office to miss deadlines. However, the court determined that these technical issues did not excuse Willis from her legal obligations.
Judge Robert McBurney found Willis in default, citing her failure to respond in a timely manner. The ruling noted that Willis could have moved to address the default or presented a defense but did neither. Instead, her office argued procedural points that the court ultimately dismissed. […]
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