Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, the high-profile prosecutor in President Donald Trump’s election interference case, has been hit with severe allegations of fund mismanagement by her challenger.
Christian Wise Smith, an experienced prosecutor himself, has called for Willis’ immediate resignation following revelations of a second congressional investigation into her office’s financial practices.
Republican Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) have initiated a second congressional investigation into the alleged misappropriation. The senators accuse Willis of diverting funds meant for at-risk youth and gang prevention towards purchasing computers and “swag,” FOX News reported.
The Justice Department Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) granted nearly $500,000 to the Fulton County District Attorney’s office in 2020.
The grant was meant to establish the Fulton County Center of Youth Empowerment and Gang Prevention, aimed at providing professional development, academic mentorship, and a community network for young people at risk of gang activity. However, despite the grant, reports suggest that the center remains unopened with its proposed building closed to the public.
Amanda Timpson, former director of gang prevention and intervention for the Fulton County DA Office, reportedly warned Willis about plans within her office to use the OJJDP gang prevention funding on ineligible expenses such as MacBooks and travel instead of aiding at-risk youth. Timpson’s employment was terminated two months after raising these concerns.
In addition to the OJJDP grant, in 2020, the Fulton County DA’s office received $2 million in federal funding through the Office of Justice Program’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI). This funding was intended to address the problem of unsubmitted sexual assault kits and assist law enforcement and prosecutors in solving these crimes.
Grassley and Johnson allege that around 49% of the SAKI funding was spent on travel and conference expenses from 2020 to 2023, with only 28% spent on professional services like forensic and DNA testing. By 2023, nearly 98% of the SAKI funding was being used for travel and conference expenditures.
“The waste or misuse of taxpayer funds is unacceptable,” the senators wrote in their letter, demanding a complete accounting of all federal grants received by the Fulton County DA since fiscal year 2019.
In light of these allegations, Christian Wise Smith, who is challenging Willis in the Democratic primary, has called for her immediate resignation.
WATCH:
HOLY MACRO, karma is about to get Fani Willis.
Fani Willis received a letter from the United States highlighting her misuse of $500,000 for Youth Empowerment and Gang Prevention Center and $2 million for the Sexual Assault Kit
Initiative.Will Democrats protect her or will she… pic.twitter.com/rY8W8C8Rzm
— I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) May 21, 2024
