ATLANTA — Georgia Republican legislators are advancing additional measures to restrict local prosecutors, claiming their probe into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis demonstrates the necessity for such actions.
Willis secured an indictment in August 2023 against Trump and 18 co-defendants, alleging their involvement in a comprehensive conspiracy to unlawfully reverse the 2020 presidential election outcome. The case was thrown out in November when courts prohibited Willis and her team from continuing the prosecution due to an “appearance of impropriety” related to a romantic involvement she maintained with a prosecutor she recruited to spearhead the case.
Multiple state senators supporting legislation that cleared the chamber Friday are campaigning for statewide positions, with primary elections scheduled for May 19. The prospects for prosecutor-related bills remain uncertain in the House, which maintains less partisan divisions than the Senate while still under Republican leadership.
The Senate-approved legislation expands the grounds for disciplining or dismissing local prosecutors through a commission established in 2024 to oversee elected district attorneys throughout Georgia, along with elected solicitors general handling minor offenses in certain counties.
The proposal empowers the commission to take action against prosecutors for breaching bar regulations, failing to inform crime victims about prosecutorial decisions, not responding to public records requests, or demonstrating “undue bias or prejudice” toward defendants.
“We received substantial evidence and heard testimony regarding prosecutor behavior and the genuine erosion of public confidence in the independence and fairness of prosecuting attorneys statewide,” stated Sen. Bill Cowsert, an Athens Republican seeking the attorney general position.
While Cowsert rejected claims the legislation specifically targeted Willis, Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who has received Trump’s backing in his gubernatorial campaign, offered a different perspective.
“Fani Willis’ lawfare against President Trump and his supporters has demonstrated the critical importance of oversight through the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission,” Jones declared in a statement. “This legislation provides the PAQC with tools to address DAs who avoid transparency, participate in unprofessional conduct, and fail to fulfill their obligations to crime victims.”
Among 140 complaints submitted to the commission in 2025, only three complaints concerning the same rural county solicitor general avoided dismissal. Washington County Solicitor General Michael Howard stepped down in July during an investigation, promising never to seek prosecutor office again.
Senators previously approved legislation strengthening the commission’s investigation capabilities during the session. However, this represents a modest result from the investigation, which included Willis’ own December appearance featuring heated exchanges with Republican Sen. Greg Dolezal, who is seeking the lieutenant governor role.
A second Friday proposal failed that would have required district attorneys and certain county officials in five Democratic-leaning metro Atlanta counties to run on nonpartisan ballots. This change would have affected Willis, a Democrat. Sen. Ed Setzler, a Republican from Acworth, contended nonpartisan officials would deliver better results. The measure collapsed after eight Republicans opposed it.
A third proposal initially would have permitted Georgia’s attorney general to intervene in major criminal cases without district attorney approval, but Democrats supported the revised version after Cowsert modified it to allow district attorneys to seek assistance.
The state Senate established the Special Committee on Investigations in January 2024 to examine misconduct allegations against Willis, an elected Democrat, regarding her Trump prosecution.
