Georgia Senate passes a panel with subpoena power to investigate District Attorney Fani Willis

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia's state Senate joined attempts to investigate Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Friday, voting 30-19 to create a special committee that Republican senators say is needed to determine whether the Democratic district attorney misspent state tax money in her prosecution of former President Donald Trump and others.

“This has to do with following state funds,” said Republican Sen Matt Brass of Newnan. “We want to know where is our money going.”

The committee, which doesn't require approval by the state House or Gov. Brian Kemp, is tasked with making recommendations on state laws and spending based on its findings. But the committee can't directly sanction Willis, and Democrats denounced it as a partisan attempt to try to play to Trump and his supporters.