A former staffer at Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s office testified at a Georgia Senate hearing that she was wrongfully fired for exposing plans to misuse almost half a million dollars in federal grant money. The grant, intended to help at-risk youth, was supposed to be used for intervention strategies to prevent gang involvement in Fulton County. However, Amanda Timpson, the former grant project manager, revealed that the funds were earmarked for ineligible expenses like travel, computers, and promotional items.
When Ms. Willis took office in 2021, Amanda Timpson’s supervisor, Michael Cuffee, allegedly planned to use the grant money for purposes explicitly prohibited by the grant rules. Timpson objected, stating that the funds could only be used for programming requirements to assist at-risk youth. Despite her efforts to address the misuse of funds, Timpson claimed she was shut out of meetings, intimidated, and eventually fired in retaliation for speaking out.
In subsequent meetings with Ms. Willis, Timpson reiterated her concerns about the grant fund appropriation, recording one conversation out of fear of further retaliation. Ms. Willis acknowledged the issues raised by Timpson and apologized for the actions of her administration. Timpson’s testimony highlighted the alleged misuse of grant funds and the lack of oversight in Ms. Willis’s office, raising questions about the integrity of the grant allocation process.
Reevaluate every aspect of the situation, including her claim that she was intimidated and demoted for whistleblowing.
Ms. Timpson then stated that she believes her conversation with Ms. Toole, who she identified as a close ally of Ms. Willis, was relayed directly to Ms. Willis, leading to her termination.
Ms. Timpson claimed she was suddenly let go, supposedly due to being an at-will employee with no further need for her services, and escorted out of the premises by seven armed investigators.
She mentioned that the official termination did not occur until two months later, simply stating “employee discharged.”
She further accused Ms. Willis of making damaging remarks that hindered her job search, causing potential employers to see her as a risky hire.
Ms. Timpson, who has initiated legal action for wrongful termination, disclosed that she applied for over a thousand jobs before securing her current role.
Although Ms. Willis’s office declined to comment on Ms. Timpson’s claims, they previously described her as a “holdover from the prior administration” with subpar performance.
During her testimony, Ms. Timpson asserted that her job performance had never been criticized by any supervisors except for her whistleblowing activities.
