ATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia Senate has unanimously approved a bill that would allow President Donald Trump and over a dozen individuals to seek financial compensation for their legal defense costs stemming from attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. This legislation was passed by state legislators on Thursday, and it aims to provide compensation for attorney fees and other legal expenses in criminal cases where a prosecutor has been disqualified.
Trump, along with 18 co-defendants, was indicted in Fulton County in August 2023, facing serious allegations that include compelling Georgia's Republican Secretary of State to find enough votes to reverse his election defeat, harassing an election worker, and pressuring state lawmakers to disregard the voters' will and appoint an alternative slate of electoral college electors.
The disqualification of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from overseeing the election interference case was based on a romantic relationship she had with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she appointed to lead the legal proceedings. This ruling came from a state appeals court.
In a related statement, Georgia Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones II, a Democrat from Augusta, introduced a hypothetical scenario regarding criminal cases. He argued that individuals charged with offenses like possession of marijuana should also be entitled to reimbursement for legal fees if their case is dismissed due to prosecutorial misconduct. "That’s actually something that we probably would have pushed many years ago," Jones stated.
On the same day, the Senate also passed another bill, granting subpoena powers to State and House committees. These two bills emerge a year after the state Senate had previously passed legislation to establish a special committee investigating alleged misconduct by Attorney Willis, including her relationship with Wade. This committee aimed to subpoena Willis for a hearing last year, which she did not attend, although a judge later ruled that the committee was permitted to issue a subpoena to her.
Despite the committee's ongoing investigation, no substantial progress has been reported. Recently, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and other Republican officials expressed a desire to look into the actions of voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams, specifically regarding recent ethical findings related to the New Georgia Project. This voter participation group has faced accusations of improperly coordinating with Abrams' 2018 gubernatorial campaign. Abrams was a significant figure in that election; she aimed to become the first Black woman to serve as governor of the United States but ultimately lost to Republican Brian Kemp. Their political rivalry continued, with Kemp defeating Abrams again in a rematch in 2022.
Further investigations are being pursued into uncorroborated claims made by Lee Zeldin, the new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator. He alleged that Abrams benefitted from a $2 billion fund allocated by the Biden administration to groups working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Abrams has firmly denied receiving any funds related to this claim.
Charlotte Kramon, a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative, provided this report. Report for America is a nonprofit organization focused on placing journalists in local newsrooms to cover underrepresented issues.
