In a shocking turn of events, as reported first by the Washington Free Beacon, embattled Fulton DA Fani Willis submitted a request for new vehicles totaling over $600,000 - the answer she received is perhaps telling
DISCLAIMER: It is important to remember that all people accused of crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Also, nobody has yet to be charged with any crime in this matter, and all allegations so far are just that - allegations.
It's also important to distinguish that the comments and assertions made in this article are direct quotes from Congressman Byron Donalds and represent his thoughts, feelings, and opinions and are not necessarily shared by Wild Orchid Media or the author.
Written by Political Correspondent Alex Joseph
Facing accusations of misappropriating county funds to support her alleged lover, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has sparked controversy by seeking a taxpayer-funded allocation of $611,000 to purchase up to 16 "pursuit and special service vehicles" for law enforcement and "administrative" purposes. The Fulton County Board of Commissioners, promptly and overwhelmingly voted to postpone the request, citing the absence of any justification for the proposed purchase order.
Commissioner Bridget Thorne expressed her skepticism, stating, among other things:
"I don’t know why she’s requesting vehicles now."
Thorne went on to highlight a prior meeting with the district attorney's office in December, where Willis claimed to have already acquired vehicles after requesting $5 million in enhancements. Thorne insisted on withholding approval until the allegations against Willis were addressed, emphasizing the responsibility to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.
"In light of all the recent allegations of her department, I don’t want to approve any money until those allegations have been addressed," Thorne added. "She’s been asked to comment on them. She has not. It is our fiduciary responsibility to make sure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely," Thorne continued to say.
Willis aimed to procure several 2023 Ford SUVs and two 2023 model pursuit vehicles. Her request was met with a 6-1 vote to delay the request until the county audit committee completes its investigation into the allegations of inappropriate use of taxpayer funds currently surrounding Willis's office. A Georgia judge has instructed Willis to respond to the allegations in court by Friday, February 2.
While Willis has not directly addressed the accusations, she claimed during a Jan. 14 impromptu church speech that she and her alleged paramour are unfairly targeted due to their race. Willis referred to special prosecutor Nathan Wade as a "superstar" lawyer and a "great friend."
Claims that African-American Congressman Byron Donald promptly throttled through several public declarations wherein he also asked for her immediate resignation and disbarment.
Another Fulton executive, Commissioner Bob Ellis, chairman of the Fulton County audit committee, also expressed concern about the lack of response from Willis since his office demanded clarification about the potential misuse of taxpayer funds.
Willis, who pledged not to engage romantically with her staff before her 2020 election, faces a deadline to respond to Ellis's inquiries as well, although that specific date is not known at the time of this writing.
Additionally, the Fulton County Commission rejected yet another last-minute request by Willis to augment her department's budget by $9.7 million, which included provisions for hiring 10 attorneys, 7 investigators, and $4.4 million in "operational funds."
Commissioner Thorne, in a Facebook post on Monday, expressed shock at Willis's attempt to boost her budget amidst allegations of financial impropriety by her office. The developments underscore the challenges and scrutiny surrounding Willis's office and financial decisions.
Of course, this is a developing story, and you can count on Wild Orchid Media to keep you up to date on new revelations as new information becomes available
For more information on this and other stories we cover, please visit our website at www.veracityreport.org.
The Sources used to help verify and confirm the information in this article were: Fulton County Commissioners Meeting Minutes, Fulton County Commissioners Meeting Hub, The Washington Free Beacon.
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