Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been ordered to pay over $54,000 in attorney fees for violating Georgia’s Open Records Act, following a dispute over failing to provide requested documents.
The request was made by defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant, who represents Michael Roman, a former Trump aide indicted in the Georgia election interference case.
The court ruling marks another setback for Willis, who has faced legal challenges, including her disqualification from prosecuting the case against Trump and other co-defendants due to the “appearance of impropriety.” The judge found Willis’ office to be “openly hostile” to Merchant’s records requests, indicating a lack of good faith.
Willis now has 30 days to provide the requested records and pay $54,264 to Merchant for nearly 80 hours of work. The ruling comes amid ongoing legal issues for Willis, including a separate lawsuit related to her office’s handling of public records.
