Fani Willis sails to victory in Georgia primary – and celebrates with Grey Goose vodka
Fani Willis, the district attorney for Fulton County and prosecutor who brought charges against Donald Trump in Georgia, sailed to victory in her Democratic primary reelection race on Tuesday night – and celebrated with Grey Goose vodka.
Ms Willis had been the favorite in the race against her opponent Christian Wise Smith, who she also defeated in 2020.
In a landslide victory, she took more than 80 per cent of all Democratic votes.
Now, she will face off against Republican candidate Courtney Kramer during the general election in November.
In her victory speech, Ms Willis thanked supporters saying: “They want a district attorney that believes everyone deserves to be safe and everyone is entitled to some dignity.”
“And it’s a message that p***ing folks off but there is no one above the law in this country nor is there anyone beneath it,” Ms Willis added.
Ms Willis brought charges against Mr Trump and more than a dozen co-defendants last year in a sprawling case under the state’s anti-racketeering RICO statute.
She alleged that the former president and his allies ran a “criminal enterprise” to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia.
Mr Trump and his co-defendants sought to remove Ms Willis from the case by accusing her of misconduct because of her prior romantic relationship with Nathan Wide, a prosecutor who she had hired to lead the case.
They claimed Ms Willis financially benefitted from the case against the former president.
During hours of heated and, at times, embarrassing testimony, Ms Willis acknowledged her prior relationship with Mr Wade but insisted their relationship began after he was hired and ended before an indictment was brought against Mr Trump.
Ultimately Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the case, said Ms Willis could remain on the case but suggested either she or Mr Wade should withdraw themselves from the case. Mr Wade announced his resignation hours after the decision.
During her victory speech, Ms Willis made a callback to a revelation during some of her testimony in the disqualification hearing – that she enjoys Grey Goose vodka.
“Every now and then you get to stop and smell the roses and tonight we gonna stop and smell these roses, we gonna celebrate, we are gonna party. The DA is drinking Grey Goose in case anybody wondering,” Ms Willis said.
Judge McAfee also won re-election on the Fulton County Superior Court on Tuesday evening.