Fani Willis: The No-Nonsense Georgia Prosecutor on a Collision Course With Donald Trump

District attorney relishes complicated cases, while former president chides her probe as partisan

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis says her father taught her the importance of preparing for trial. Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

ATLANTA—A Fulton County Board of Commissioners meeting in the summer of 2021 was proceeding like most mundane local government gatherings. Then Fani Willis came to the podium.

The county’s then-newly elected district attorney’s presentation was more like a closing argument of a trial than the traditional recitation of figures from a department head, as she demanded more funding for her office to handle a crime wave and case backlog.

Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8