A political challenger to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has emerged, casting a shadow over the Democratic prosecutor’s ability to project strength heading into a tumultuous stretch in her prosecution of former President Donald Trump.
Courtney Kramer, a Georgia Republican and election integrity lawyer, has qualified to run for the urban seat, according to legal analyst Phil Holloway. The Emory graduate’s addition to the ballot will undoubtedly add muscle behind accusations that Willis has used her case against Trump and 18 co-defendants to boost her own profile, with others citing the overhaul of her campaign website just days before handing down indictments last year.
According to Holloway, Kramer “pledges to focus on the Atlanta crime crisis, violent crime, human trafficking, organized retail theft,” all areas that ostensibly have fallen by the wayside as Willis puts all of her office’s efforts into charging President Trump with seeking to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results.
BREAKING 🚨🚨
Attorney Courtney Kramer @supreme_court1 has qualified to run for Fulton DA in a challenge to #FaniWillis
Kramer pledges to focus on the Atlanta crime crisis, violent crime, human trafficking, organized retail theft
Things that matter most to Fulton residents pic.twitter.com/1yE3bYZyUv
— Phil Holloway ✈️ (@PhilHollowayEsq) March 8, 2024
Despite Willis’ stumbles, Kramer would likely face an uphill battle in a reliably blue enclave. Fulton County is anchored by Atlanta and plays host to mostly Democratic officeholders. Two Republicans, County Clerk & Recorder Patrick O’Brian and Sheriff Jon Webb, are the lone members of their party to serve at the local level.
The outcome of a Kramer-Willis matchup may hinge on whether local voters absorb the narrative that Willis misappropriated state and federal funds to continue her Trump case, including the hiring of Nathan Wade whose romantic relationship remains the subject of hearings around whether Willis may be dismissed from the case. Georgia and U.S. House lawmakers have launched separate probes of Willis’ spending practices and whether she lied under oath about her relationship with Wade after claiming their affair only began after his hiring. Multiple witnesses have testified just the opposite occurred.
Before the fireworks begin, Kramer must also establish herself as a competent and qualified alternative to Wills. Her biography provides plenty of reasons to believe that will be the case; in addition to graduating from the prestigious Emory University School of Law, she has held positions with the Office of the White House Counsel, the American Center for Law and Justice, and President Trump’s post-election legal team. In 2021 and 2022, she earned back-to-back James Magazine awards for the most influential attorneys in Georgia, the youngest achiever to earn the title.
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