PG A.M.: Fulton DA Fani Willis won’t cooperate with state Senate probe
Georgia Republicans may not get their moment in the spotlight grilling Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. That’s because the prosecutor says she won’t testify before a special Senate committee scrutinizing her.
The GOP-led probe of Willis was orchestrated with the blessing of Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, an ally of former President Donald Trump who says she’s abusing her office by bringing a far-ranging election interference case against Trump and several other co-defendants.
Willis sees the Senate committee as an abuse of power. She said as much Monday at an event where she was joined by local religious and community leaders endorsing her reelection bid.
“First of all, I don’t think they have the authority to subpoena me. But they need to learn the law.”
She added: “I will not appear to anything that is unlawful. And I have not broken the law in any way. I’ve said it, and I’ll say it amongst these leaders: I’m sorry that folks get pissed off that everybody gets treated evenly.”
The Senate committee held its most recent hearing on Friday, offering a prelude to legislation that lawmakers could pursue next year. GOP leaders slammed Willis for spending money on the racketeering case instead of shifting resources toward a backlog of criminal cases made worse by the pandemic at the Fulton County Jail.
Jones, who could yet face criminal charges for his own role in the aftermath of the 2020 election, basically dared Willis to ignore his entreaties.
“If subpoenaed by the committee, she will be required to appear or she will be in violation of Georgia law,” said Jones, a likely candidate for governor in 2026.
“This is what treating everybody evenly looks like, even if DA Willis doesn’t like being held accountable.”
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OSSOFF ON ISRAEL. U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff was one of the first Jewish lawmakers to join the escalating criticism of the death of civilians in Gaza amid Israel’s war against Hamas militants.
In an interview Monday, the Georgia Democrat called the humanitarian crisis in Gaza a “catastrophe” while urging the Israeli government to “urgently facilitate the flow of additional humanitarian aid into a territory on the brink of famine.”
Ossoff, the first Jewish U.S. senator in Georgia history, led 25 colleagues in a letter to President Joe Biden urging diplomacy to restore a ceasefire in Gaza tied to the release of hostages. But he said Biden should ensure Israel is “living up to our expectations and to our legal obligations” to minimize civilian harm.
His remarks came as Israel prepared to launch a military operation in the Gaza city of Rafah in a war that began on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants invaded Israel, killing about 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and taking an additional 250 hostage.
Israel countered with air and ground assaults aiming to dislodge Hamas from Gaza. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
As for crackdowns on pro-Palestinian demonstrations on college campuses, Ossoff didn’t weigh in on specific cases in Georgia. He said “universities have to strike a balance between the sacred American value of free speech and the imperatives of campus safety and public safety.”
“I am deeply concerned for the safety of these campus communities, faculty and students. And that includes the safety of those who engage in protests,” he said.
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STAFFING UP. The Democratic Party of Georgia unveiled a raft of new staffers Tuesday ahead of the November election. They are:
- Felicia Agostini, finance director. Agostini worked on Jen Jordan and Erick Allen’s statewide races and later was an aide to the Virginia State Senate Caucus.
- Dave Hoffman, communications director. Hoffman worked for three U.S. senators, U.S. Senate campaigns in Florida and North Carolina, and was a senior adviser to Democrats Serve, which backed U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo, D-Rhode Island.
- Ellie Schwartz is now the deputy communications director. She was the party’s press secretary in 2022, and has worked for the party since 2021.
- Alex Yerkey is the party’s director of rapid response. He was a key data deputy on Sen. Jon Ossoff’s 2020 campaign in Georgia and later worked for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.
- Alexis Harris is the deputy digital director. She was Georgia U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s digital communications manager in 2022 while completing her doctorate at Clark Atlanta University.
Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye, the party’s executive director, gloated about the hires while contrasting with the state GOP.
“While our Republican counterparts burn money defending their actions four years ago to illegally overturn an election result they didn’t like,” he said, “Georgia Democrats continue to make dynamic additions to our team that will help us succeed this year and beyond.
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RIDIN’ WITH BIDEN. Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan has been at odds with the Trump wing of his Republican Party for years now. That rift took a turn for the more severe Monday when Duncan announced in an AJC commentary that he’s voting for President Joe Biden in November instead of the presumptive GOP nominee, former President Donald Trump.
From Duncan’s essay:
“The alternative is another term of Trump, a man who has disqualified himself through his conduct and his character. The headlines are ablaze with his hush-money trial over allegations of improper record-keeping for payments to conceal an affair with an adult-film star.
Most important, Trump fanned the flames of unfounded conspiracy theories that led to the horrific events of Jan. 6, 2021. He refuses to admit he lost the last election and has hinted he might do so again after the next one."
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TAKE IT FROM ME. Wellesley College announced Monday that Georgia state Rep. Michelle Au will deliver the school’s spring commencement speech.
The Johns Creek Democrat graduated magna cum laude from the suburban Boston college in 1999 before attending Columbia University for medical school and residency.
Wellesley College President Paula A. Johnson said Au, who is an anesthesiologist in her day job, “exemplifies the power and purpose of a Wellesley alumna, and I know she will inspire our graduates.”
Au follows in the steps of some seriously heavy hitters who have delivered past commencement addresses at the women’s college in Massachusetts, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, class of 1969; former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, class of 1959; and former first ladies Barbara Bush and Raisa Gorbachev.
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COLLINS RESPONDS TO CRITICS. U.S. Rep. Mike Collins acknowledged criticism he faced for reposting a viral video showing apparently racist behavior during a campus protest.
We told you in Monday’s newsletter that Collins had faced backlash, including a rebuke from the Georgia NAACP, after sharing the video of counter-protesters at the University of Mississippi shouting at a pro-Palestinian protester — a Black woman. One student in the video appeared to be making monkey sounds and gestures toward the woman.
Collins defended his post over the weekend, but on Monday the Jackson Republican issued a statement saying he does not condone racism or discrimination. He said that any student found to have targeted another person for the color of their skin should face the consequences.
“If that person is found to have treated another human being improperly because of their race, they should be punished appropriately, and will hopefully seek forgiveness,” Collins wrote. “Frankly, I did not believe that to be the focal point of the video shared at the time, but I recognize that there certainly seems to be some potentially inappropriate behavior that none of us should seek to glorify.”
Collins has been criticized in recent months for posts some have viewed as racist, but this was the first time he acknowledged to a degree that the critics may have a valid point.
However, he did not delete the original tweet that drew the backlash.
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MTG ON PAUSE. Last week, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, vowed to start the process of forcing a vote to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson from his role as soon as this week.
But after meeting with Johnson, R-La., for two hours Monday afternoon, Greene emerged tight-lipped about her next steps. She said that she had agreed to meet with Johnson again today around lunchtime and everything else was on hold.
As a result, when the House took votes Monday evening Greene held her fire and did not push forward with her ouster efforts. A group of moderate Republicans also canceled their planned Monday evening news conference to criticize Greene’s campaign.
For right now, everything appears to be on hold until Greene and Johnson meet again. She told reporters she will have more to say after that.
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LISTEN UP. On Tuesday’s episode of the “Politically Georgia” radio show, Mableton Mayor Michael Owens, a Democrat, and ex-Cobb GOP chair Jason Shepherd discuss their initiative to bring a bipartisan group of current and former lawmakers together to find ways to promote civility to politics.
Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols also joins the show to talk about the Plant Vogtle reactors that recently came online.
Listen live at 10 a.m. on 90.1 FM, at AJC.com and at WABE.org.
If you missed Monday’s show, ACLU of Georgia director Andrea Young shared her thoughts about the recent pro-Palestinian campus protests. She also talked about how her organization is working to protect access to voting and challenging a recent law regarding changes to the state’s cash bail laws.
The AJC’s Ernie Suggs also joined the show to discuss his recent coverage of the history of campus protests in America.
Listen at Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
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BUDGET SIGNING. Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to approve the state’s $36.1 billion budget today. The spending plan includes raises for 300,000 educators and state workers, plus more money for law enforcement, education and mental health programs.
The AJC’s James Salzer unpacks the budget, which takes effect July 1. Today marks the 40th day since the close of the legislative session, the deadline for Kemp to sign bills into law.
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TODAY IN WASHINGTON:
- President Joe Biden delivers the keynote address at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Annual Days of Remembrance ceremony at the Capitol. In the afternoon, Biden meets with President Klaus Iohannis of Romania.
- The House has scheduled a vote on a bill that would prevent the Biden administration from implementing new energy efficiency standards for home appliances.
- The Senate has confirmation votes lined up.
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TRAIL BIT. Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff meets with Black small business owners as a part of a campaign stop in Atlanta today. Later, he attends a roundtable discussion focused on reproductive rights.
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ATHENS MEETINGS MOVE. The Athens-Clarke County Commission holds its regular meeting tonight at the Clarke County School District headquarters instead of City Hall because of security concerns.
The venue move is in response to recent incidents that have disrupted commission meetings, including one last month where an attendee had to be subdued and tasered by police. The commission and Mayor Kelly Girtz have faced criticism of their leadership on several topics, such as stances on immigration.
Security enhancements, specifically a controlled entry point, are being implemented at City Hall in anticipation of meetings returning to the facility later this summer.
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DOG OF THE DAY. A puppy this cute almost doesn’t need a name, but meet Merlin McDaniel, the first canine in our newsletter named by ChatGPT.
The corgi is the newest member of the McDonald home, where he joins previous Dog of the Day, Howie Dewitt. Although Ben and Kelli McDaniel briefly considered naming Merlin “Willie Dewitt,” to go with Howie DeWitt, ChatGPT did the honors instead. If only it could take Merlin outside for those 3 a.m. potty training sessions.
If your pooch is ready for his or her 15 minutes of newsletter fame, send them our way! Pups of any political persuasion considered, as are cats on a cat-by-cat basis. Horizontal photos are especially welcome. Send to patricia.murphy@ajc.com.
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AS ALWAYS, Politically Georgia readers are some of our favorite tipsters. Send your best scoop, gossip and insider info to greg.bluestein@ajc.com, tia.mitchell@ajc.com, patricia.murphy@ajc.com and adam.vanbrimmer@ajc.com.
About the Authors
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
Patricia Murphy is the AJC's senior political columnist. She was previously a nationally syndicated columnist for CQ Roll Call, national political reporter for the Daily Beast and Politics Daily, and wrote for The Washington Post and Garden & Gun. She graduated from Vanderbilt and holds a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
Adam Van Brimmer is a journalist who covers politics and Coastal Georgia news for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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