by Chris Powell at Trending Politics
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been ordered to pay over $54,000 in attorney fees and expenses after a court ruled that her office violated Georgia’s Open Records Act (ORA) in a case related to President Donald Trump.
The ruling, which was handed down by a Georgia court on Friday, found that Willis and her office failed to comply with open records requests within the legally required timeframe, acting without “substantial justification” in withholding the requested information. As a result, the court awarded Ashleigh Merchant $54,103.23 in attorney fees and litigation expenses.
The ruling stems from a dispute with defense attorney Merchant, who represents Michael Roman, a co-defendant in the election interference case against President Donald Trump. Merchant had requested records related to the case, but the D.A.’s office failed to provide them, leading the judge to find the office “openly hostile” and lacking “good faith” in handling the requests.
The county’s Superior Court Judge Rachel Krause also mandated that specific public records be produced within 30 days, warning that additional penalties could be imposed if Willis and her office fail to comply. The case centered on whether the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office was subject to the Open Records Act, a question that was answered definitively by the court.
Citing the Georgia Supreme Court’s ruling in Gonzalez v. Miller,…
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