Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis emerged victorious in the Georgia Democratic primary Tuesday, defeating attorney and author Christian Wise Smith, the Associated Press projects. The 52-year-old prosecutor, who is leading the high-profile 2020 election interference case against former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants, will now face Republican challenger Courtney Kramer in the general election this fall.
Willis' win comes amid ongoing investigations by both chambers of the U.S. Congress and two commissions in the Georgia state legislature into her alleged misuse of federal funds meant for at-risk youth and gang prevention programs. GOP Senators Chuck Grassley and Ron Johnson recently accused Willis of using these funds to purchase computers and "swag," while House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan subpoenaed the district attorney in February over the accusations.
Despite the scrutiny, Willis remains defiant, dismissing the investigations as illegitimate and politically motivated. "Jim Jordan has, time after time after time, attacked my office with no legitimate purpose," Willis told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow on Monday. "Anyone who knows Jim Jordan's history knows that he only has the purpose of trying to interfere in a criminal investigation."
The district attorney's office has also been the subject of a probe by a state Senate committee in Georgia, which heard testimony earlier this month that caused one Republican senator to express concern over the lack of oversight of Willis' $36.6 million budget, likening it to "the Wild West."
Further complicating matters is Willis' disclosed romantic relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who oversaw the Trump election interference case. Although Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled in March that Willis could remain on the case if Wade stepped aside, the former president and his co-defendants are appealing the decision to the Georgia Court of Appeals, seeking to disqualify Willis from the case entirely. The appeals court has agreed to hear their bid, with a hearing date yet to be scheduled.
Despite the ongoing challenges, Willis remains confident in her ability to prevail. "I am not going to be broken, and I am going to still be standing here doing my job lawfully," she said.
Willis, the first woman to lead the Fulton County DA's office, has focused her campaign on her experience in the community, touting initiatives targeting at-risk youth, greater transparency with law enforcement, and the establishment of a pre-indictment diversion program to offer second chances to offenders. Her television ads highlight her role in taking on "gangs and violent offenders," claiming that Fulton County has seen "the third-largest crime drop in America" under her leadership.
Her primary challenger, Christian Wise Smith, had called for Willis' resignation, pointing to the congressional investigations into her office's use of federal funds. Wise Smith, who founded the National Social Justice Alliance nonprofit to combat police brutality, campaigned on a platform of ending mass incarceration and dismantling the "school-to-prison pipeline."
As Willis prepares to face Courtney Kramer, a former intern in the Trump White House counsel's office and litigation consultant for the Trump campaign in Georgia after the 2020 election, the stakes remain high. The ongoing appeal in the Georgia State Court of Appeals could potentially stall the Trump election interference case beyond the November election, adding further uncertainty to an already contentious race.
With Fulton County's strong Democratic lean - the county voted 73% for President Joe Biden in 2020 - Willis is favored to win the general election. However, the mounting investigations and the looming appeal in the Trump case ensure that the embattled district attorney will remain in the spotlight as she fights for another term in office.
