"You are ignorant": Fani Willis accuses Jim Jordan of "abusing your authority" in scorching letter

“The legal positions you advance are meritless," the Fulton County D.A. told the House Judiciary chairman

By Tatyana Tandanpolie

Staff Writer

Published October 12, 2023 10:18AM (EDT)

U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) arrives to a House Republicans to hear from members running for U.S. Speaker of House in the Longworth House Office Building on October 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) arrives to a House Republicans to hear from members running for U.S. Speaker of House in the Longworth House Office Building on October 11, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis tore into House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Wednesday over his recent letter suggesting her investigation into former President Donald Trump is politically motivated, accusing the Ohio Republican of abusing his authority to improperly interfere in the criminal case, The Messenger reports. “A charitable explanation of your correspondence is that you are ignorant of the United States and Georgia Constitutions and codes,” Willis wrote in the two-page reply. “A more troubling explanation is that you are abusing your authority as Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary to attempt to obstruct and interfere with a Georgia criminal prosecution.” 

She referred Jordan back to her initial response to his correspondence, asserting that nothing he's put forth in his latest letter changes the fact that “the legal positions you advance are meritless.” She also repeated her previous suggestion that he use his authority as the House Judiciary chairman to further aid Americans instead. “I would encourage you to focus your attention on those issues which would make life better for the American people,” Willis concluded.

Wednesday's letter is Willis' second strongly-worded response to the representative after he requested she turn over any correspondence between her office and the Department of Justice related to the former president's prosecution. Jordan first wrote Willis just 10 days after she brought down a sprawling racketeering indictment against Trump and 18 co-defendants, to announce his congressional probe of her state criminal investigation.