House Republicans start investigating Fulton Co. DA

In a totally unprecedented and unexpected counterattack, several House Republicans began officially investigating Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The announcement came on the very day President Donald J. Trump surrendered himself and appeared in an Atlanta courtroom.

House Republicans go on counteroffensive

The House Judiciary Committee announced the counterattack at 10:33 a.m. EDT today. They sent this five-page letter to District Attorney Willis.

The letter references the Fulton County indictment, describing it in detail in its first paragraph. In deceptively dry prose, the letter details the specific charged acts – asking for telephone numbers, sharing program notes for a non-government streaming channel, and “numerous acts taking place in other States not involving” the Georgia election. By itself, that would build a case for dismissal by the Georgia Supreme Court or other Georgia appellate court. But then that paragraph speaks of “substantial federal interests” and political motivation.

To establish political motivation, the letter refers to Willis launching a fundraising website highlighting her investigation of Trump. She set this website up four days before the indictment. It also mentions other irregularities with the grand jury process:

• Why did the grand jury forewoman share her “excitement” at having the privilege of serving Trump with a subpoena?
• Who leaked an earlier version of the indictment on the county website before the grand jury had taken a vote?
• What has she to say about another Georgia court disqualifying her from investigating Lt. Gov. Burt Jones? (She had held fundraising affairs for his Democratic opponent.)
• Why did she make a show of humiliating Trump, in a way few State officials would act? (The humiliation is highly debatable. Donald J. Trump can easily use, and has used, attempts at humiliation to his advantage.)

Bad timing

The letter went on to question her timing. She began her investigation in February 2021. According to the letter she had intended to ask for a trial date of March 4, 2024 – the day before the Super Tuesday primaries. (That seems to be obsolete. CBS and other outlets report she asked the judge today to set trial in October, 2023.)

“Federal interests” include charging criminally the internal deliberations within the Justice Department before the change of administration. (See Count 22 of the indictment.)

Next, the House Republicans, in the letter (signed by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Chairman), cite four wrong things:

• Threatening the supremacy of national law through trying to criminalize the behavior of federal officers,
• Adversely affecting the welfare of a former President, possibly contrary to federal law and certainly contrary to federal interest,
• Possible misuse of federal funds that often go to State and local law-enforcement agencies, and
• Improper coordination with a Justice Department Special Counsel (namely, Jack Smith).

Then comes this paragraph:

Given the weighty federal interests at stake, the Committee is conducting oversight of this matter to determine whether any legislative reforms are appropriate or necessary. Such reforms could include changes to the federal officer removal statute, immunities for federal officials, the permissible use of federal funds, the authorities of special counsels, and the delineation of prosecutorial authority between federal and local officials.

Next comes a demand for three categories of documents relating to:::

1. The use of federal funds in any capacity,
2. Communication between the D.A.’s office and anyone in the Justice Department concerning investigations of Trump or any co-defendant, and
3. Communications between the D.A.’s office and any other Executive Branch official.

The letter sets a deadline of September 7, 2023.

A new kind of counterattack

The Federalist also reported on this new counterattack by House Republicans. So did Bob Unruh at WorldNetDaily.

Reaction to this apparent counterattack included skepticism,

and outrage.

Trump did surrender today at 7:30 p.m. EDT. His “mugshot” went viral, and this evaluation by Lauren Witzke is most telling:

And, at 9:38 p.m. EDT today, Donald J. Trump broke his long silence on X.

House Republicans are clearly celebrating.

Time and events will show whether this counterattack by House Republicans is sincere.