Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has agreed to appear under oath before a special Georgia Senate committee investigating her handling of the high-profile election interference case against former President Donald Trump and others, marking a significant development after more than a year of legal battles.
The hearing is scheduled for November 13, 2025, before the Senate Special Committee on Investigations, a Republican-led panel chaired by state Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Athens).
Willis, an elected Democrat, will face questions about her office’s operations, including her romantic relationship with former special prosecutor Nathan Wade and allegations of misconduct in the 2023 indictment of Trump and 18 co-defendants.
This agreement comes as a reversal from Willis’ previous refusals to comply with subpoenas, which she argued exceeded the committee’s authority. A Fulton County judge ruled in late 2024 that the panel could compel her testimony, a decision now under appeal before the Georgia Supreme Court, with arguments set for November 4.
Under a new state law signed by Gov. Brian Kemp, the committee plans to issue a fresh subpoena, clarifying lawmakers’ investigative powers even outside the legislative session.
Cowsert emphasized that the session is not intended as a personal attack. “We’re not on some witch hunt against Fani Willis here,” he told reporters.
He added that the focus will be on broader issues, such as clarifying what constitutes an “appearance of conflict of interest” for district attorneys.
“I’ll be asking her how would you recommend that we more specifically identify inappropriate, improper, unethical conduct so that other prosecutors don’t engage in that behavior,” Cowsert said, aiming to restore public confidence in the judicial system.
The committee, formed in January 2024, has met several times but uncovered little new evidence, drawing criticism from Democrats who view it as political theater—especially since five of its six Republican members are eyeing statewide runs in 2026. Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II (D-Augusta), the panel’s ranking Democrat, welcomed the opportunity for Willis to speak. “
She’s been the center of attention so much, so it will be good for her to actually come and give her side, so to speak.”
Willis has already turned over some documents related to the Trump probe as part of a negotiated agreement, though the scope of questioning remains under discussion.
“We’re agreeing to limit some of the areas of questioning,” Cowsert noted. The panel lacks prosecutorial power but could recommend budget changes or new laws regulating DAs.
The backdrop is Willis’ removal from the Trump case in December 2024 by the Georgia Court of Appeals, which cited an “appearance of impropriety” due to her relationship with Wade, whom she hired as a special prosecutor.
The state Supreme Court declined to expedite her appeal last month, and the case now rests with the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia
The indictment, filed in August 2023, accused Trump and allies of a racketeering conspiracy to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state; it has been stalled by these controversies.
For Fulton County residents and Atlanta’s legal community, the testimony could shed light on ongoing tensions between state prosecutors and Republican lawmakers, potentially influencing future oversight of district attorneys.
The hearing will be open to the public, with only Cowsert and Jones II slated to question Willis directly.
Stay tuned to AtlantaFi.com for updates as the November date approaches.