Georgia Republican Sen. Bill Cowsert (center back) questioned Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts (center front) and Fulton County Chief Financial Officer Sharon Whittmore (front left) about how District Attorney Fani Willis' office receives and spends taxpayer dollars at a hearing on Friday, May 3, 2024. (Screenshot/The Georgia Senate)
"Yeah, the board of commissioners has no oversight over the district attorney," the finance chief answered.
Pitts testified that Willis has wide discretion over how to spend the funds appropriated for the district attorney's office and said she does not have to get any pre-approval for hiring an independent special counsel to assist with her activities.
"And [the district attorney] doesn't have to even report back to you how the money was spent or who was hired as an independent contractor and how much they were paid?" Cowsert asked.
"That's correct," Pitts replied.
ANTI-TRUMP DA'S NO-SHOW AT DEBATE LEAVES CHALLENGER FACING OFF AGAINST EMPTY PODIUM
Fulton County DA Fani Willis winks before being sworn in to testify on the hearing about an allegedly improper relationship with Nathan Wade. (Screenshot/Fox News)
"This is not a political witch hunt; this is a quest for the truth," Cowsert said at the inaugural meeting of the special committee.
Trump and attorneys for several of his co-defendants have said Willis should be disqualified over the allegations and all charges against them dismissed.
In January, Trump co-defendant Michael Roman filed court documents alleging that Willis had been having an "improper" affair with Wade, whom she hired to help prosecute the 2024 GOP front-runner. Roman and his lawyers argue the relationship created a conflict of interest and that she benefited financially from it in the form of lavish vacations the two took using funds his law firm received for working the case.
Willis has called the allegations "salacious" and said they have no "merit," though she admitted in a court filing that she and Wade have been "professional associates and friends since 2019."
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After a hearing to consider the allegations, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled that either Willis or her ex-lover Wade must step aside for the case to proceed in Fulton County. The judge also gave Trump and eight co-defendants permission to appeal his order.
Trump and the co-defendants filed an official notice of appeal in March. A decision from the Court of Appeals on whether to take up the case is expected later this month.
Fox News Digital's Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.
Chris Pandolfo is a writer for Fox News Digital. Send tips to chris.pandolfo@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @ChrisCPandolfo.
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