Judicial Watch announced that the Fulton County Superior Court has granted a default judgment against District Attorney Fani Willis in their lawsuit seeking her communications with Special Counsel Jack Smith and the House January 6 Committee. The court ordered Willis to produce all relevant records within five business days.
The court also approved Judicial Watch’s request for attorneys’ fees. The lawsuit, filed in March 2024, came after Willis and Fulton County officials denied having records in response to an August 2023 Georgia Open Records Act (ORA) request. Judicial Watch challenged this denial, citing evidence of prior communications, including a December 2021 letter from Willis to then-House January 6 Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson.
In May 2024, Judicial Watch sought a default judgment after Willis failed to respond within the required 30 days. The court’s ruling stated Willis had been in default since April 11, 2024, and did not attempt to rectify this. The judgment noted, “Plaintiff has established that Defendant violated the ORA by failing to either turn over responsive records or notify Plaintiff of her decision to withhold them.”
The court granted Judicial Watch’s key requests, ordering Willis to:
- Conduct a thorough search for the requested records within five business days.
- Provide any non-exempt records to Judicial Watch.
- Follow legal procedures if withholding any documents.
- The court also set a hearing on attorney’s fees for December 20.
