In a swift reaction to the indictment levied against the former president, Donald Trump's campaign has targeted Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

The criticism focused on her familial connection to the Black Panther movement, an association that the Trump team characterized as being "steeped in hate," as Fox News reported.

Unveiling Willis's Family Connection to Black Panthers

The campaign reached out to supporters via email, in which officials emphasized Willis's family background. Quotes from both a TIME magazine article from 2021 and the Fulton County government website were used to shed light on Willis's roots.

The message outlined that Willis's family is "steeped with hate" and described her as the "daughter of a former Black Panther."

The TIME article provided additional context: "The daughter of a former Black Panther who recently retired as a criminal defense lawyer, the Inglewood, Calif.-born Willis would go along when her father went to court on Saturday mornings."

The article added, "The judge who oversaw the Saturday courtroom, an older white man, was, according to Willis, known to be mean. But each week, he had Willis, too young to stay home alone or to hear the details her father needed to discuss with clients, sit next to him on the elevated dais, the two whispering back and forth,"

"One day, Willis' father asked her what on earth they talked about," the article continued.

Controversial Background of Willis's Father

The email didn't stop at painting a vivid picture of Willis's upbringing. It also included an intriguing insight into her relationship with her father, John Clifford Floyd III, and his connection to the Black Panther movement.

This portrayal emphasized his significant influence on her life, evident in a quote from the Fulton County Government website: "Fani has a seemingly proud family background as an African American woman," it reads.

"As what can now be considered a conscious foreshadowing to her future endeavors, she describes her Swahili name's intended meaning, saying: 'My name is actually Fani (fah-nee), Taifa is my middle name, and my last name is Willis. So, my father was a Black Panther, so he was very Afrocentric… my name is Swahili. Fani actually means 'prosperous,' and Taifa means 'people," she explained.

In an October 2022 article from South Atlanta magazine, Willis further discussed her father, revealing his frequent brushes with the law, even stating that he had been arrested so many times that he couldn't recount the exact number.

Trump Accuses Georgia DA of Targeting Him for 2024 Re-Election

Trump also expressed his frustrations on his Truth Social platform on Monday, accusing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis of attempting to interfere with his 2024 re-election campaign by trying to indict him on "ridiculous grounds," Al Jazeera reported.

"No, I didn't tamper with the election!" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday morning.

Trump and Associates Charged in Georgia Election Case

This scrutiny comes in the wake of a total of 13 charges against Trump stemming from a years-long investigation by Georgia state prosecutors into alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the state.

The charges against Trump include violations of Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer, forgery, false statements, and more. Along with Trump, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, Kenneth Chesebro, Jeff Clark, and John Eastman, among others, were also charged.

District Attorney Willis has given the defendants, including Trump, until Aug. 25 to surrender. During a press conference on Monday night, she expressed her intention for a trial to occur within six months.

This marks the fourth time Trump has been indicted and solidifies his place as the first former president in U.S. history to face criminal charges.