A California man, Marc Shultz, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Atlanta for sending death threats to District Attorney Fani Willis, who is handling the case against former President Donald Trump and 18 others accused of attempting to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. Shultz threatened Willis in comments on YouTube livestream videos, stating that she would be killed. Prosecutors are charging him with transmitting interstate threats to injure. Shultz appeared before a judge in San Diego and was released on bail, with a formal arraignment scheduled for June in Atlanta.
The special state Senate committee in Georgia is looking into Willis’ hiring of former special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who has a romantic relationship with Willis, to lead the team handling the Trump case. Trump and other defendants have argued that the relationship poses a conflict of interest. Wade stepped down from the prosecution, but a judge ruled that Willis could only continue prosecuting Trump if Wade left. The case has been clouded by personal details of the prosecutors’ lives being aired in court, overshadowing the charges against Trump and his associates.
Despite the drama surrounding her hiring of Wade, Willis maintains that she has not done anything wrong, and her office has followed the law. She is currently running for reelection this year and is facing a Democratic opponent in a primary election. The lawyer who sought Willis’ removal claims that Wade’s firing violated a state law requiring approval of a special prosecutor by the county commission. However, county leaders testified that judges have interpreted the law differently, allowing Willis the freedom to hire whomever she chooses without county approval.
State Senator Bill Cowsert, who chairs the committee, expressed disagreement with the interpretation of the law and suggested that the committee might change the law to give counties more control over spending by state officers funded by counties, like district attorneys. This move could increase oversight over how district attorneys allocate resources, but Fulton County officials believe they currently lack the ability to control Willis’ spending once funds are allocated to her. The committee’s prolonged questioning over budgetary issues led some members to question the relevance and effectiveness of their investigation.
The ongoing scrutiny of Willis’ handling of the Trump case and hiring of Wade has raised questions about conflicts of interest and legal procedures in the prosecution. Despite facing challenges and criticism, Willis remains steadfast in her defense of her actions and maintains that her office has acted in accordance with the law. The outcome of the federal case against Shultz for his death threats towards Willis, as well as the ongoing legal battles and controversies surrounding the Trump investigation, could have implications for the future of criminal prosecutions in Georgia and beyond.
