Fani Willis is throwing a tantrum again, and this time, she’s threatening to sue if she doesn’t get the budget she wants. That’s right—the Fulton County District Attorney, who’s been more than happy to spend her time on high-profile political cases, is now claiming that if she doesn’t get a bigger slice of the county’s nearly billion-dollar budget, “people will die.” Nothing like a little dramatic fearmongering to make your case, right?
Let’s be clear about what’s happening here. The Fulton County Board of Commissioners just finalized its 2025 budget, allocating $39.3 million to Willis’s office. That’s not exactly pocket change. But Willis, apparently not satisfied with that, has been demanding more money, claiming her office can’t function properly without it. And now, instead of working with what she’s got, she’s threatening legal action against the very people responsible for fiscal oversight. Because why focus on managing resources efficiently when you can just demand more taxpayer dollars?
Here’s the problem with Willis’s argument: she’s acting like she’s the only government official who didn’t get everything on her wish list. The budget also didn’t give extra funding to the magistrate courts, the solicitor general, or other justice departments. But they’re not out here making doomsday predictions or promising lawsuits. They’re dealing with the reality that budgets have limits.
And let’s talk about this budget in context. The county’s revenue is growing because property values are up, but the commissioners still have to balance the needs of all departments—not just the ones making the most noise. That means prioritizing things like the Fulton County Jail, which is under scrutiny from the DOJ for poor conditions. It means maintaining basic county services. It means not throwing millions at one office just because its leader is making the loudest threats.
Of course, Willis is painting this as a direct assault on public safety. She claims that not giving her office the extra money she wants will jeopardize crime prevention and slow down the court system. But let’s not forget that this is the same DA who’s been laser-focused on her prosecution of Donald Trump—pouring massive amounts of time and resources into that case while crime in Atlanta continues to be a very real problem. If she’s so concerned about keeping people safe, maybe she should reassess her priorities.
Fulton County’s board of commissioners has denied Fani Willis’s plea for additional funding after she threatened to sue them if they didn’t acquiesce to her demands. Otherwise, “people will die” as a consequence of budgetary cuts, Willis claimed.https://t.co/zFiPJNk2NK
— Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) February 11, 2025
Meanwhile, Commissioner Dana Barrett tried to push through a plan to shift a budget surplus toward justice and safety departments, arguing that they should be funded “proactively” instead of “reactively.” Sounds nice in theory, but what does that actually mean? Does it mean throwing more money at government offices that already received extra funding from a temporary federal grant (Project ORCA) and now expect those boosted budgets to become permanent? Because that’s exactly what’s happening here. ORCA was designed to be a short-term solution to deal with pandemic-related court backlogs. Now, Willis and others are treating it as if it set a new baseline that must be maintained indefinitely, no matter the cost.
The commissioners, to their credit, didn’t take the bait. They opted to direct additional funds toward jail operations and maintenance, which makes sense given the DOJ’s recent report. If there’s anywhere that taxpayer money should go, it’s making sure the jail isn’t a complete disaster—not padding the DA’s office so she can keep grabbing headlines.
“It is some hard medicine to have to swallow,” Fulton County commissioner Bridget Thorne said before the board voted 5 – 2 in favor of a more financially conservative 2025 budget.
The bottom line is this: Willis isn’t getting what she wants, and instead of dealing with it like a responsible public official, she’s resorting to scare tactics and legal threats. But Fulton County residents aren’t stupid. They see what’s happening. And if Willis really wants to talk about threats to public safety, maybe she should start by explaining why so many criminals keep getting repeat chances under her watch while she obsesses over politically charged prosecutions. Because that’s a budget conversation worth having.
