Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis criticized Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) for his probe into her office, accusing him of focusing on personal attacks rather than serving his constituents.
In an interview on MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, Willis discussed the criticism she has faced due to her investigation into former President Donald Trump and his associates. Earlier this year, Jordan, head of the House Judiciary Committee, launched a federal investigation into Willis and warned of holding her in contempt of Congress if she did not comply with an inquiry into the use of federal funds.
“Jim Jordan has repeatedly attacked my office for no valid reason. Anyone familiar with Jim Jordan’s history knows his sole intent is to disrupt a criminal investigation,” Willis asserted.
Part of the investigation involves examining a report that Willis’s 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,” according to a subpoena. Willis has stated she “invite[s] him” to investigate the grants and that her office has complied with the subpoenas.
She also criticized Jordan’s district, which includes a rural central part of Ohio and areas near Columbus, noting its crime problems. Columbus has one of the highest crime rates among U.S. cities.
“He continues his attacks to try to interfere in a criminal investigation. All while his jurisdiction has one of the worst crime rates, has poverty issues, and not one time has he used his position to try to investigate people who are attacking me and others who are attacking others legitimately doing their job, making him illegitimate in his position. And it’s disgusting,” Willis said.
She remarked that individuals in Georgia are emulating Jordan by attempting to “attack” her.
“Now, at the state level, they’ve decided to follow this clown’s lead. And they want to now try to interfere in an investigation and it’s not legitimate either and so it shall fail and it’s not going to go anywhere,” Willis said. “But they are trying to attack me at every level.”
The Truth Voices reached out to Jordan’s office for comment.
Willis, who faces a Democratic primary opponent on Tuesday, reasserted her role as district attorney as someone who “looks at the facts.”
“Having prosecutors who are free from interference and allowed to examine cases, evaluate the facts, and charge those who broke the law, is essential for us to live in a free society,” Willis said.
Despite the investigations and “attacks,” she emphasized that these challenges only make her stronger.
“The sad part, though, for all of them is it doesn’t matter how many times they attack me, I am not going to be broken,” Willis said. “And I am going to still be standing here doing my job, lawfully.”
