Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Aug. 31 rejected a plea from state Republicans to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis after former President Donald Trump’s indictment for alleged election interference.
The Republican governor, who has sometimes been at odds with President Trump, stated that he wouldn’t hold a special legislative session to oust Ms. Willis. The governor said an attempt to impeach Ms. Willis isn’t feasible and “may ultimately prove to be unconstitutional.”
“We have a law in the state of Georgia that clearly outlines the legal steps that can be taken if constituents believe their local prosecutors are violating their oath by engaging in unethical or illegal behavior,” Mr. Kemp said on Aug. 31. “As long as I am governor, we’re going to follow the law and the Constitution, regardless of who it helps or harms politically.”
Since President Trump and 18 co-defendants were indicted in August, some Georgia state lawmakers have suggested a special session to remove Ms. Willis, although a conviction would require a two-thirds majority vote in the state Senate. The state GOP likely wouldn’t have enough votes in the upper chamber, making it an uphill fight.
One Republican lawmaker, Clint Dixon, said that he believes the indictments are “all about Fani Willis and her unabashed goal to become some sort of leftist celebrity,” suggesting she be ousted from office. Meanwhile, state Sen. Colton Moore, also a Republican, asked Mr. Kemp in a letter to call a special session to investigate Ms. Willis for “potentially abusing her position of power by pursuing former President Donald J. Trump.”
But Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns, a Republican, signaled that he doesn’t want to defund the Fulton County District Attorney’s office, as several of his GOP colleagues have suggested, according to a letter he wrote. The lawmaker then asserted that the effort to go after Ms. Willis shouldn’t take precedence over damage in southern Georgia by Hurricane Idalia, which barreled through multiple southeastern U.S. states on Aug. 30.
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