Fani Willis says primary win proof people of Fulton County have faith in her

ATLANTA — District Attorney Fani Willis said her primary election win is proof that Fulton County has faith in the job she is doing.

On top of talking about her big win Tuesday night, Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne also asked Willis about the election interference case and her relationship with Nathan Wade.

“Do you believe the size of your primary victory was an affirmation from your constituents that they are good with the way you are handling the election interference case and the way you handled your relationship with Nathan Wade?” Winne asked Willis.

“What I believe the 87% victory tells the nation is that my constituents know the work that we are doing in this office,” Willis said. “I believe it is the constituents saying we know that this district attorney’s office has a 92% conviction rate, that they see us in the community, that they see us fighting for victims, that we are unapologetic about locking up violent offenders.”

Attorney Manny Arora, who defended one of the people involved in the Georgia election interference case, said he had no choice but to vote for Willis’ opponent.

“My point was to support somebody that would actually do what they say versus just saying what’s popular in the moment. And so, we decided to support the opponent,” Arora said.

“You represented one of the election interference case defendants who got out, right?” Winne asked Arora.

“Yes I did,” Arora said. “The case was going along fine. If it wasn’t for all the personal issues.”

“I believe the citizens of Fulton County want a district attorney that says no one is above the law and no one is beneath me, and that she is not afraid to prosecute anyone that comes into this jurisdiction and commits a crime,” Willis said.

Willis said while she was focused on winning the Democratic primary for reelection, she remained focused on her office winning cases, like the one against Farderren Grier.

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Chief Senior Assistant DA Kassie Hall said on May 17, a jury convicted Grier of the murder of girlfriend Destiny Simone Fitzpatrick in 2022

“When he pointed the gun at her, she actually said, ‘Do you know you can go to jail for pointing a gun at someone?’ And he said ‘Yeah,’ and they pulled the trigger,” Hall said.

She said Grier made no secret he’s nephew of hip hop star Jeffery Williams, a.k.a. Young Thug, but that Grier should be known now as a domestic violence abuser.

Hall said 10 days before the murder, Grier dropped his crutches and went after Fitzpatrick, throwing her to the ground and hitting her head against a wall. Almost an hour later, Grier pointed a gun at her.

Deputy DA Asia Baysah said Fitzpatrick tried to defend herself against another attack the day she died at one point throwing a bottle at Grier.

“The defendant claimed to be a victim of domestic violence,” Baysah said.

Baysah said what happened to Fitzpatrick fits a tragic pattern.

“They call it the cycle of violence. it’s a cycle that domestic violence victims are in,” Baysah said.

“We have to make sure domestic violence victims are educated and that they know that there is someplace to go, and the truth is that we do not have enough resources for them right now, and I plan to be at the center of providing them resources and safe spaces where they can escape,” Willis said.

Grier’s attorney told Winne they plan to appeal the conviction and that the trial was unfair because they weren’t allowed to present evidence of his intellectual disability.

The attorney also raised an issue involving one of the jurors.

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