Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr urges top court to ignore Fani Willis appeal

Greg Bluestein, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Dec 30, 2024

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ATLANTA — Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr pressed the state’s top court Monday to disregard an appeal that could breathe new life into Fulton County’s election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump and his allies.

Carr, a Republican candidate for governor, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the state Court of Appeals “rightfully” disqualified District Attorney Fani Willis and her office from pursuing racketeering charges against Trump and 14 co-defendants.

“Lawfare has become far too common in American politics, and it must end,” Carr said. “As such, I would encourage the Georgia Supreme Court to not take her appeal.”

His stance was quickly seconded by Gov. Brian Kemp, a political ally who said Georgians “deserve safe communities and partisan politics out of our courtrooms.”

It also brought an immediate rebuke from Willis, who accused him of being “focused on the politics of the 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary rather than the law.”

Carr is head of an office that provides legal counsel to Georgia’s executive branch and prosecutes violent crime across the state, but he has no power over what cases the Georgia Supreme Court takes up.

Still, his statement is his latest effort to build support among Trump allies ahead of what’s expected to be a fierce GOP primary battle to succeed Gov. Brian Kemp, who cannot seek a third term. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a key Trump ally who was probed by Willis’ grand jury, is among Carr’s expected rivals for the party’s nomination.

And Jones wasted little time in slamming Carr for waiting so long to speak up and said the state Senate will investigate Willis’ use of public funds.

“I have said for years that Fani Willis orchestrated a political charade against President Trump,” he said on X. “When he had opportunities to lead, our Attorney General was missing in action. Where he failed, the Georgia Senate won’t,” Jones said. “We look forward to holding her accountable at a future hearing.”

Carr has been more muted than other state GOP leaders in his criticism of Willis’ probe , partly because he was subpoenaed to testify in the investigation and could be called as a witness at trial.

Shortly after the appellate court’s ruling disqualified Willis over her onetime romantic relationship with the former special prosecutor in the case, Carr broadly panned what he described as politicized prosecutions in an interview with the AJC’s “Politically Georgia” without taking direct aim at Willis.

“One of the things we need to do in politics is stay in our lane,” Carr said, adding: “I would just suggest it is not going to serve our nation well if we go after our political enemies if we don’t like what they’ve done, in office or not.”

But Carr sharpened his stance on Monday with a statement that called for Willis to “focus taxpayer resources on the successful prosecution of violent criminals in Fulton County.”

It’s not immediately clear how soon the Georgia Supreme Court could decide whether to take up the case, though legal experts say the process could take weeks or months.

If the appeals court ruling stands, jurisdiction over the Trump case will shift to a nonpartisan state agency known as the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, which would decide who to assign it to next.

But only a handful of local offices have the resources to take on such a complex case, and it’s not clear whether there are other prosecutors who would raise their hands to take on such a controversial matter.

As for Willis, her statement was a rare public comment since the appeals court ruling a week ago. She described Carr as a “witness in the case he is trying to influence” and accused him of playing politics.

“If Mr. Carr cannot separate his ambition to become Governor from his duties as Attorney General,” she said, “he should resign and focus on being a full-time candidate rather than serving as a constitutional officer sworn to uphold the Constitutions and laws of the United States and Georgia.”

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