Latest news with #GeorgiaAppealsCourt
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fani Willis ordered to pay $54K for violating open records laws in Trump case
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has been ordered to pay more than $54,000 for violating the state's open records laws in relation to the prosecution of President Donald Trump. The county's Superior Court Judge Rachel Krause formalized her ruling Friday and ordered Willis to pay $54,264 in attorneys' fees and litigation costs after "intentionally" failing to provide records requested by Ashleigh Merchant, the attorney who filed the motion to disqualify Willis from prosecuting Trump on charges of allegedly interfering with the 2020 presidential election. Krause stated that Willis' office failed to provide documents related to the employment of Nathan Wade, the former special assistant district attorney forced to resign from the Trump case due to his romantic relationship with Willis. Merchant believed that Willis and Wade may have financially benefited from Wade's appointment as the special prosecutor in the case. Georgia Appeals Court Disqualifies Da Fani Willis And Her Team From Trump Election Interference Case "Defendants — through the Open Records custodian, Dexter Bond — were openly hostile to counsel for Plaintiff, Ms. Merchant, and testified that Ms. Merchant's requests were handled differently than other requests," the court order said. Read On The Fox News App Trump Cheers Disqualification Of 'Corrupt' Fani Willis, Says Case Is 'Entirely Dead' Bond, who testified that his usual practice was to call a requestor to receive additional information to fulfill requests, indicated that he refused to communicate with Merchant by telephone, the court order stated. "While there is no requirement under the ORA for Mr. Bond to call any requestor about a particular request, Mr. Bond's handling of Ms. Merchant's requests in this manner indicates a lack of good faith," the order said. "Defendants' failures were intentional, not done in good faith, and were substantially groundless and vexatious." Georgia Lawmakers Can Subpoena Fani Willis For Information Related To Trump Case, Court Rules Merchant, who reacted to the ruling in a post on X Friday, said she was "proud that we have judges willing to hold people in power accountable when they ignore the law!!!!" Fox News Digital reached out to Merchant and Willis' office for additional statements but did not immediately receive a response. The DA's office has 30 days from the court's order to pay the penalty. The plaintiff also received injunctive relief directing Willis to finally provide the requested article source: Fani Willis ordered to pay $54K for violating open records laws in Trump case
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Georgia councilwoman tells ex-BLM mayor to stop playing 'victim' after charging Africa vacay to city card
A former Black Lives Matter organizer elected as mayor of South Fulton, Georgia, in 2021 got a rude awakening Tuesday when a city councilwoman told him to stop playing the "victim" after charging tens of thousands of dollars on his city credit card. At Tuesday's city council meeting in the Atlanta-area, Mayor Khalid Kamau, who also goes by Mayor Kobi, lamented that news cameras were there. He accused some council members of "political posturing" amid reports that the mayor allegedly made more than $26,000 worth of unauthorized purchases on his city credit card in the final quarter of 2024. During that time period, the mayor reportedly documented a 20-day trip to Ghana on his Instagram account. "I am so distressed and disappointed that the Blackest city in the United States of America is headed into Black History Month with this all-Black council tearing each other down," Kamau said. After being recognized to speak, Councilwoman Helen Willis shot back. Georgia Appeals Court Disqualifies Da Fani Willis And Her Team From Trump Election Interference Case "Mayor, I really was going to let this go, but I can't continue to sit here and allow you to make it seem like we're the villains, and you're the victim," Willis said. "Now those cameras are in the back of the room, not because of us. We would love to come to a meeting and just go through this agenda, have a professional meeting. And do the business of the people and go home. But it was you who wanted to go sit around and call us the 'Blackest city' and say we want to tear each other down…" Read On The Fox News App "We're not tearing you down. You took your Black behind over to Africa for 20 days and didn't tell anybody," Willis said, prompting the meeting to be called into order. "No, he called us the Blackest city, and that was disrespectful," she added. "We keep telling him that." Kamau reportedly walked out of the meeting before the portion began to discuss his spending. No stranger to controversy, Kamau, who's been mayor since January 2022, was arrested on burglary and trespassing charges the following year for allegedly entering a lake house he believed to be abandoned before confronting the startled homeowner. His personal website, Netroots Nations, describes Kamau as "the first #BlackLivesMatter organizer elected to public office in the country." Among the $26,000 in authorized purchases, Kamau allegedly spent $1,800 on a table for his office that converts into a pool table, WSB-TV reported, citing bank records. In September, the mayor allegedly used his city card to purchase more than $9,000 worth of travel, including flight upgrades, which are against city policy. Reports say bank records show he also used the city card to spend $13,000 on high-tech electronics and international travel in October. He is also accused of using his city card to buy a $1,300 drone, as well as to make several Amazon purchases, including one purchase that amounted to $1,800. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Mulling Georgia Gubernatorial Run WSB previously reported that bank records show Kamau spent more than $5,000 on several plane tickets, including one Air Kenya flight for more than $1,500, that was charged to the city card. "I wanted to find out if taxpayers paid for this trip," one resident, Reshard Snellings, told the outlet earlier this month. "We should not be asked to go without something so that our elected officials can travel all over the globe."Willis has alleged that Kamau has 112 outstanding receipts that have not been reconciled or submitted, violating city policy requiring justification within 72 hours of purchase. "We need more economic development here, and we don't need to go to Africa in order for the city to have a multi-business deal," Willis said earlier this month, according to WSB. The city does not have rules on international travel, but all personal expenses on city credit cards require approval. Before Tuesday, the council had previously voted to temporarily ban international travel for 30 to 45 days so that the policy could be reviewed. The South Fulton City Manager announced that the firm Baker Tilly will conduct an investigation into the use of the city credit cards, WSB reported. Fox News Digital reached out to Kamau on Wednesday seeking comment but did not immediately hear article source: Georgia councilwoman tells ex-BLM mayor to stop playing 'victim' after charging Africa vacay to city card
