Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp stated this past Thursday that attempts by some state Republicans to call a special session to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will not work. Kemp’s statement came at a press conference, in response to a letter from State Sen. Colton Moore claiming to have the support from 3/5 of each respective house in the legislature to impeach Willis. It was later found that the statement in the letter was not accurate.
Kemp has so far not seen any evidence that Willis’ actions warrant action from the Prosecutory Attorney Oversight Commission. He continued saying “As long as I’m governor, we are going to follow the law and the Constitution, regardless of who it helps politically.”
Willis filed a motion Tuesday afternoon asking Fulton County Judge presiding over the case against former President Trump and 18 others to expedite the trial. All 19 defendants –Trump, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, his former attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro, and others – are being tried together on charges related to Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
The motion asks the court to set a deadline for defendants to file a motion to sever, giving the parties, including the state of Georgia, adequate time to brief the severance issue and have a hearing on any filed motion to sever.
Kemp’s opposition to this and previous attempts to undertake unauthorized action in the case against Trump may indicate a bipartisan effort to make sure justice is executed with due process and no political efforts are involved. It is noteworthy the governor’s support of Willis despite his Republican affiliation.
When Kemp was asked about this effort, he confirmed that his working relationship with DA Willis has been “absolutely fine” and that he had not heard or seen anything irregular in his interactions with her.
With multiple attempts to interfere in the investigation against Trump failing, Kemp’s stance may help make sure these efforts do not escalate beyond merely noise and posturing. It’s not yet clear when the defendants will appear for trial, how long the hearing may last, or when final resolution may come.
For now, Willis and Kemp seem determined to follow the law and make sure justice is served in the correct manner with no political interference, securing that due process is respected.