District Attorney Fani Willis (D) of Fulton County, Georgia, penned a scathing letter to House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) after he demanded she release all documents related to her prosecution of former President Trump and to release 18 other defendants in connection with election interference.
The nine-page letter alternately accuses Jordan of “insulting.”[ing]“Constitutional Principles with “your attempt to interfere with and obstruct the prosecution of this office,” suggests that he purchase a book on racketeering prosecution at the price offered to non-lawyers, and labels her response as voluntary, since “settled constitutional law clearly allows me to ignore your unwarranted and illegal intrusion.”
“Your attempt to invoke the authority of Congress to intervene and disrupt an ongoing criminal proceeding in Georgia is in flagrant contravention of the Constitution,” Willis wrote in a letter first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution who had also received The Hill.
“There is absolutely no support for Congress to purport to scrutinize or in any way oversee an ongoing criminal investigation and prosecution in Georgia. This violation of Georgia’s sovereignty is offensive and will not be sustained.”
At another point she said Jordan’s letter was “nonsense.”[ying] by members of Congress” and suggested that he should work to investigate the threats against them.
Willis’ letter is a response to an August letter from Jordan sent just hours before Trump was scheduled to report to the Fulton County Jail.
Jordan, who has sent similar letters to each of the law enforcement agencies investigating Trump, called on Willis to turn over any documents related to her work and also asked whether she had communicated with special counsel Jack Smith.
In another part of the letter, Willis tells Jordan that he needs to “come to terms with some basic realities.”
“A special grand jury made up of everyday citizens investigated for 10 months and made recommendations to me. “Another reality is that a grand jury of disparate citizens of Fulton County found probable cause against the defendants named in the indictment for RICO violations and various other crimes,” she wrote, using an acronym for Racketeer Law Influenced and Corrupt Organizations.
“Here is another reality you must face: Anyone who wants to avoid committing crimes in Fulton County, Georgia – including violations of Georgia’s RICO law – should not commit crimes in Fulton County, Georgia. In this jurisdiction every person is subject to the same laws and procedures.”
Willis also takes a number of criticisms of Jordan’s legal knowledge, at one point breaking down the “essential duties” of a prosecutor and at another writing to give the Judiciary Chairman a “brief guide” to RICO law.
“Your letter makes it clear that you lack a basic understanding of the law, its practice, and the ethical obligations of lawyers in general and prosecutors in particular,” she wrote.
After suggesting that Jordan was “misinformed” about the details contained in her indictment, she referred him to other sources.
“For a more in-depth understanding of Georgia’s RICO statute, its application, and similar laws in other states, I encourage you to read RICO State-by-State. If you are not a member of the Bar Association, you may purchase a copy for two hundred and forty-nine dollars [$249].”
Willis also addressed questions from Jordan about the timing of her investigation, noting that she was stymied by resistance to complying with the subpoena from current and former members of Congress, and noting that allegations that her prosecution of Trump was politically motivated could not be further from the truth.
Willis ended her correspondence by suggesting that Jordan investigate the threats against her office
“Since it appears that you have a vested interest in the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, you should consider directing the USDOJ to investigate the racist threats made to my staff and me as a result of this investigation,” she said added examples of ten such threats in incidents.
“I provide these examples to give you insight into what happened to my staff and me as I uphold the promise of my oath to the Constitutions of the United States and Georgia and will not allow myself to be abused by locally elected members of the United States and Georgia “Congress is being harassed by officials or others who believe that the judiciary should not be blind and that America has different laws for different citizens.”
Updated at 1:14 p.m
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