John Bazemore/AP
In an interview with a local news station, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said again that she would decide on charges by September 1 in her investigation of Donald Trump and his ally’s attempts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election result. She also praised the increased security around the local courthouse.
Willis told affiliate WXIA at a back-to-school event over the weekend that the work was done. “We have been working for 2 1/2 years. We are all set to go.”
In letters, Willis has told local officials and people in charge of security that she will announce any charges between July 31 and the end of August. She explained the different safety steps her team plans to take starting Monday.
Willis’s latest commitment to that time frame comes after a judge set an August 10 hearing on the Trump team’s attempts to remove Willis, a Democrat, from the case, throw out most of the evidence she has gathered, and remove another judge in Fulton County from presiding over the case.
Willis also praised the Fulton County sheriff in the local news interview. Recently, barricades around the county courthouse were put up in preparation for what the sheriff’s office called “high-profile legal proceedings.”
Willis said, “I think the sheriff is doing a smart thing by ensuring the courthouse is safe.” “I don’t want to put any courthouse workers or people who come there in danger.”
Willis said that people might not like what she says and that “when people are unhappy, they sometimes do things that could hurt others.”
Dangers to safety
Willis also asked local officials to be on the lookout for possible security threats in an email she sent over the weekend. In the email, she shared a racist and sexualized message she had received and said that similar rude messages had been left on her voicemail.
Willis emailed Fulton County officials to let them know what he and his staff have been used to for the past two and a half years. “I guess I’m sending this to remind you to stay safe and watchful during August.”
She also said, “Please make decisions that keep the safety of your staff in mind.”