The ethics board Thursday was set to hear two complaints related to allegations that Willis had an improper romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade and should be disqualified from the election case. But when the meeting convened, Chairman Daraka Satcher announced the board did not have jurisdiction over the complaints because Willis is a state constitutional officer, not a county official subject to the ethics code.
Really? The office of district attorneys is created by the state constitution (page 45), it is true, but clearly established as an office in a judicial district. The term "state constitutional officer" is generally considered to cover those offices that have state-wide jurisdiction.
This sounds like a thin excuse for a punt. If a DA acts unethically with county funds -- the issue at hand in one of these complaints -- the ethics board is essentially arguing that the county has no recourse about it. The state legislature can address it, and so can the new prosecutor review board that Kemp will sign into law soon.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member