Jim Jordan threatens Fani Willis with contempt if she doesn’t comply with subpoena in federal funding probe
Written by ABC AUDIO on March 15, 2024
(WASHINGTON) — House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan has threatened Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis with contempt of Congress if Willis does not comply with a congressional subpoena as part of the committee’s investigation into her office’s use of federal funds.
The House Judiciary Committee in February issued a subpoena to Willis for documents related to her office’s use of federal funds intended to support at-risk youth, according to a copy of the subpoena obtained by ABC News.
“While you have indicated that additional documents may be forthcoming in response to the Committee’s subpoena, the Committee has yet to receive any additional responsive materials in the three weeks since your initial response,” Jordan, R-Ohio, wrote in the letter, obtained by ABC News. “Accordingly, the Committee expects that you will produce all responsive documents to the subpoena in the categories prioritized by the Committee no later than 12:00 p.m. on March 28, 2024. If you fail to do so, the Committee will consider taking further action, such as the invocation of contempt of Congress proceedings.”
Jordan said his committee is seeking documents showing the receipt and use of federal grant funds issued by the Department of Justice, as well as documents and communications referring or relating to any allegations of the misuse of federal funds.
Jordan set a March 28 deadline and warned not meeting it would lead Congress to consider taking further action “such as the invocation of contempt of Congress proceedings.”
“According to a recent report, your office unlawfully ‘planned to use part of a $488,000 federal grant — earmarked for the creation of a Center of Youth Empowerment and Gang Prevention” — to cover frivolous, unrelated expenses,” the subpoena said.
This comes as Willis faces unrelated scrutiny over her relationship with one of her top prosecutors in the Georgia election interference case against former President Donald Trump and 18 others.
In a statement responding to the subpoena, Willis defended her use of federal funds against allegations of wrongdoing.
“Our federal grant programs are focused on helping at-risk youth and seeking justice for sexual assault victims who were too long ignored,” Willis said at the time. “Our federal grant-funded Sexual Assault Kit Initiative has been cited by the United States Attorney General as a model program.”
Willis said her grant programs are “highly effective” and that any examination would find that they were “conducted in cooperation with the Department of Justice and in compliance with all Department of Justice requirements.”
The Judiciary Committee has been conducting a broader probe into Willis’ use of federal funds in her investigation of the former president. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges in the election probe.
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