Georgia GOP finds new weapon in vendetta against Fani Willis: columnist

Georgia Republicans are highlighting conditions in a notoriously bad jail as a way to punish District Attorney Fani Willis for her prosecution of Donald Trump, a columnist speculated Saturday.

Members of the state’s party toured the Fulton County Jail Wednesday, shining light on a facility that's so bad that, in 2022, a prisoner was apparently eaten by bedbugs. Last year, 15 prisoners were killed inside the jail.

But the timing – just weeks after Trump and his co-defendants in the racketeering case involving attempts to overturn the state’s 2020 election result had to appear at the jail for booking – seemed suspicious to MSNBC writer Ja’han Jones.

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“For decades, social justice activists and people incarcerated there have sounded the alarm about the jail’s conditions, which have contributed to deaths, staff corruption, overcrowding and crumbling facilities,” he wrote.

“...But it wasn’t until Thursday that Republicans announced a plan to investigate the situation.”

He continued, “Georgia GOPers have hardly lifted a finger over conditions at the jail as activists advocated on behalf of those held there, a group that is predominantly Black. And despite what Republicans are saying about this probe, its political motives seem clear: Some Georgia Republicans have pushed to impeach Willis (and disrupt her case against Trump and his co-defendants, all of whom have pleaded not guilty). And it looks as though the conditions at the jail — which predate Willis’ time as district attorney — could eventually be used as pretext for that.”

Jones quoted the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to justify his suspicion.

“Willis will likely face scrutiny over her use of resources and strategy in addressing an enormous backlog of cases that grew worse during the coronavirus pandemic. ‘The DA is required by Georgia law to have a grand jury inspect the sanitary condition of the jail and the treatment of inmates, and it isn’t clear she’s carried out that duty,’ said state Sen. Jason Anavitarte, one of the chamber’s top Republicans. ‘She did find time and resources to pursue politically chosen cases when the jail has been deteriorating, resulting in deaths.’”

Jones said those comments show that Willis will become the GOP’s scapegoat for the appalling prison conditions.

“Remarks like the above suggest that the Republicans’ probe is more about striking back against Willis than about ensuring human rights in the carceral system."

“Unsurprisingly, I’m not convinced that the Republicans who make up today’s lock-’em-up, shoot-’em-down conservative movement are truly concerned about humane law enforcement.“