SR 5: Senate Special Committee on Investigations; reauthorizing

In 2024 the Georgia Senate created a special committee to investigate misconduct allegations against Fani Willis, the district attorney for the Atlanta Judicial Circuit, tied to her office's prosecution of the 2020 presidential election case. That committee held hearings and gathered records but could not finish before the legislative term ended. This resolution recreates and reauthorizes that committee for the new legislative term. The committee can have up to nine senators, with at least three from the minority party, chosen by the Senate Committee on Assignments, which also picks the chairperson. The committee keeps the power to administer oaths, call witnesses, subpoena documents, and enforce those subpoenas. It inherits all records collected by the earlier committee and can meet anytime, including after the Senate adjourns for the year. Funding comes from the Senate's existing budget, and any findings or recommendations must be approved by a majority vote before being filed as a report with the Secretary of the Senate.

• Recreates and reauthorizes the Senate Special Committee on Investigations to continue examining allegations against District Attorney Fani Willis.
• Caps committee membership at nine senators, requiring at least three from the minority party, all appointed by the Senate Committee on Assignments.
• Grants the committee power to administer oaths, subpoena witnesses and records, and enforce those subpoenas if someone refuses to comply.
• Transfers all books, records, and papers gathered by the prior committee under Senate Resolution 465 to the new committee.
• Allows the committee to meet at any time, including during the interim after the Senate adjourns for the year, to finish its work.
• Requires any committee report with legislative or funding recommendations to get majority approval before being filed with the Secretary of the Senate.

District Attorney Fani Willis and her office in the Atlanta Judicial Circuit (Fulton County), witnesses who may be subpoenaed to testify or produce records, the senators appointed to the committee, and state agencies such as the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council that could be affected by future legislation or funding changes.

The resolution keeps alive a legislative inquiry into a sitting district attorney's conduct, backed by subpoena power that can compel testimony and documents. Any findings could lead to new state laws or funding changes affecting how special assistant prosecutors are hired and paid statewide.

• Paragraph 1 delegates the Senate's investigative authority to the recreated Senate Special Committee on Investigations.
• Paragraph 2 sets committee size at up to nine members, with at least three from the minority party, appointed by the Senate Committee on Assignments.
• Paragraph 3 authorizes the committee to administer oaths, subpoena witnesses and records, take depositions, and enforce subpoenas, and names it successor to the 2024 committee with access to its prior records.
• Paragraph 3 also limits the committee's own rulemaking, barring any single member from issuing subpoenas without committee majority vote or the chairperson's written consent.
• Paragraph 4 lets the chairperson call meetings at any time, including during the interim period after the Senate adjourns sine die (ends its session).
• Paragraph 5 funds the committee's work from money already appropriated to the Senate.
• Paragraph 6 requires any committee report with legislative or appropriations recommendations to be approved by majority vote and filed with the Secretary of the Senate, or minutes filed if no report is approved.

1. 2025-01-13Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
2. 2025-01-13Senate Engrossed (Senate)
3. 2025-01-13Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
4. 2025-01-13Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Greg Dolezal (R, SD-027)Primary sponsor
• John Kennedy (R, SD-018)
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• Brandon Beach (R, SD-021)
• Shawn Still (R, SD-048)
• Blake Tillery (R, SD-019)
• John Albers (R, SD-056)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Chuck Payne (R, SD-054)
• Bill Cowsert (R, SD-046)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Brian Strickland (R, SD-042)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)

1. PassedSenate voteJanuary 13, 2025

   33 yea, 23 nay

   Motion To Engross: Senate Vote #6

2. PassedSenate voteJanuary 13, 2025

   33 yea, 23 nay

   Adoption: Senate Vote #7

• legislative investigations
• Fani Willis
• Fulton County district attorney
• prosecutorial conduct
• Georgia Senate committees