Fani Willis Investigation Georgia Senate hearing streaming today

ATLANTA – A special committee in the Georgia Senate is scheduled to begin an investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Thursday.

The committee says its goal is to investigate Willis’ allegations of misconduct related to “potential conflicts of interest and misuse of public funds.” The committee also wants to “enact new laws or amend existing ones and/or alter state funding allocations to restore public confidence in the criminal justice system.”

At the special committee hearing, scheduled for Thursday at 1:30 p.m., Amanda Timpson, the former director of the Juvenile Diversion Program, will testify. According to Fulton County court records, Timpson has previously sued prosecutors for unknown reasons.

This hearing comes days after Willis won a majority decision in the Georgia General Primary against her challenger Christian Wise Smith.

RELATED: Ashleigh Merchant, attorney who filed the motion to disqualify prosecutor Fani Willis, testifies before Georgia Senate committee

Robb Pitts, Chairman of the Fulton County Commission, and Sharon Whitmore, CFO of Fulton County testified at the last hearing earlier this month. Read more about their testimony here.

The previous hearing before the select committee in early March featured testimony from attorney Ashleigh Merchant.

Senators are expected to meet at the Georgia Capitol at 1:30 p.m. 11Alive is streaming the conference using the video player above and below. Check back to find out more.

The Senate committee lacks the authority to impose sanctions against Willis, but senators can subpoena evidence and witnesses such as Pitts, Whitmore and Merchant. They also have the rare authority to demand testimony under oath.

At the end of its investigation, the committee could submit a report presenting proposed changes to state law or budget planning to the Attorney General’s Office.

Merchant is the attorney for Michael Roman, one of 19 co-defendants originally charged in the case along with former President Donald Trump. She filed the motion to disqualify Willis in January, citing the relationship between Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade, which had become the subject of an extraordinary sub-proceedings in the Trump case.

Judge Scott McAfee ultimately ruled that Willis could remain in the case, but Wade was forced to resign as part of his decision.

These are the senators serving on the committee investigating Willis:

• Chairman Bill Cowsert (R-Athens)
• Vice Chairman Greg Dolezal, (R-Cumming)
• Jason Esteves, (Democrat from Atlanta)
• John F. Kennedy, (R-Macon)
• Blake Tillery, (R-Vidalia)
• Harold Jones II, (Democrat from Augusta)
• Bo Hatchett, (R-Cornelia)
• Steve Gooch, (R-Dahlonega)
• Gloria Butler (D-Stone Mountain)

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