Senate investigates Georgia DA Fani Willis over alleged misuse of federal grants for travel, hotels, airfare

The move comes after GOP members in the House launched a similar investigation in February.

According to a letter sent to Willis by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) to Willis and obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, "the Fulton County DA may have misused funds" from grant programs meant to "administer a variety of juvenile justice and child protection programs" in the state. The letter demands more information about the reported allegations.

In 2020, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) awarded a $500,000 grant to Willis to establish the Fulton County Center of Youth Empowerment and Gang Prevention Center, according to the letter.

"The stated purpose of the Center was to provide professional development, academic mentorship, and a community network for youth at risk of becoming involved or continuing in gang activity," the senators wrote. News reports cited in the document alleged that a portion of that grant was used improperly.

$2 million was also supposed to go to the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) introduced by the Office of Justice Programs. According to the letter, "Data published by Fulton County, from 2020 to 2023 show the Fulton County DA’s office spent approximately 49% of its SAKI funding expenditures on travel and conference expenses, such as hotel, airfare, and rental cars, and approximately 28% was actually spent on professional services, such as forensic and DNA testing."

"Moreover, in 2023 the Fulton County DA’s office spent approximately 98% of its SAKI funding on travel and conference expenditures," the letter from the GOP senators added.

Grassley and Johnson requested that Willis respond to the letter no later than May 29, 2024.

The Senate investigation comes one month after the DOJ admitted to "inconsistencies" with Willis’s usage of the funds in the gang prevention grant.

Johnson Grassley letter to Willis by Tommy on Scribd