Judge Issues Rebuke to Georgia Prosecutor Investigating Trump

A judge overseeing the Fulton County grand jury probe into the 2020 election and former President Donald Trump criticized local District Attorney Fani Willis Thursday for partaking in a fundraiser against an individual she is investigating.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney issued a rebuke of Willis during a hearing because she took part in a fundraiser for Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Charlie Bailey last month. Bailey is facing off against Republican candidate Burt Jones, who was informed by the Fulton County DA’s office that he’s being investigated as part of their probe.

“I don’t know that it’s an actual conflict, but … it’s a ‘what are you thinking’ moment,” McBurney told Willis, according to local media. “If we’re trying to maintain confidence that this investigation is pursuing facts in a nonpartisan sense … that strikes me as problematic.”

He told her that her appearance is “not a lowercase ‘a’ appearance. It’s like a capital ‘A’ with flashy lights fundraiser with the district attorney for the political opponent of someone I’ve named a target of my investigation, where I’m the legal adviser to the grand jury, and I’m on national media almost nightly talking about this investigation.”

“That’s problematic,” the judge continued. However, he stopped short of ruling to remove her from the inquiry.

What the Lawyers Say

Anna Green Cross, a lawyer representing the Fulton County DA’s office, said that the fundraiser was held while Bailey was still competing in a Democratic runoff election, and it was not clear which candidate would face Jones. She said the event was held several weeks before a notice was sent to Jones about the investigation.

But attorneys for Jones argued that Willis’s actions merit her removal from the investigation and suggested that Georgia’s attorney general appoint a new district attorney, court documents show.

“I suspect