A Georgia state court has ordered District Attorney Fani Willis to provide new information and possibly conduct another search for Trump-related records after her affidavit failed to show whether devices belonging to former Fulton County Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade or Chief Investigator Michael L. Hill were searched. Both were involved in evidence gathering and likely met with the January 6 Committee.
The order stems from a Judicial Watch lawsuit claiming Willis falsely denied having records responsive to an earlier Georgia Open Records Act request for communications with Special Counsel Jack Smith’s office or the January 6 Committee. A March 7, 2025, order required Willis to turn over 212 pages of records and submit an affidavit explaining how they were located and why they were initially withheld. The documents were found after at least a fifth search of her office. Judicial Watch was awarded $21,578 in attorney’s fees and costs, paid ten days after the court deadline.
The new order notes that Willis submitted the affidavit and 212 pages of emails, texts, correspondence, and search protocols, but the court identified gaps: no search protocol for Investigator Hill, uncertainty over whether Wade’s materials were reviewed, and incomplete detail on Willis’ own search. The court directed Willis to submit the missing search protocols for Hill and herself and clarify whether Wade’s materials were searched. Any additional records uncovered must be submitted for in-camera review, where they will remain pending the court’s assessment.
Read the Judicial Watch Press Release
