Jones is one of 16 fake Trump electors who signed on to the “unofficial electorate certificate” in a plan to subvert the Electoral College in the 2020 election.
Jones is currently running for lieutenant governor in Georgia against Democrat Charlie Bailey. Willis hosted a campaign fundraiser for Bailey last month and donated to his primary campaign earlier this year.
In his ruling, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney said Willis’ office may “ask witnesses about the Senator’s role in the various efforts the State Republican party undertook to call into question the legitimacy of the results of the election. What her office may not do is make sure of any such evidence to develop a case against the Senator.”
“It’s a ‘What are you thinking’ moment,” McBurney said. “The optics are horrific.”
The Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia will select a replacement district attorney’s office that can question Jones, according to Georgia law.
Willis’ office and Jones’ spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Counsel for Willis had said in court filings that her political support for Bailey’s campaign provides no basis for disqualification nor amounts to a conflict of interest in overseeing the grand jury. Last week, Willis’ attorney stressed that the district attorney’s political actions were well within the law.
CNN previously reported that court documents filed last week revealed that Willis had informed all 16 fake Trump electors may be indicted in her probe.
This story has been updated with additional details Monday.
CNN’s Chandelis Duster contributed to this report.
