Fulton County, Georgia district attorney Fani Willis, who made headlines for bringing charges against former President Donald Trump on allegations of election interference, is facing new allegations that could potentially impact the integrity of the case.
The claims, brought forward in court documents earlier this month, suggest that Willis had an “improper” romantic relationship with a prosecutor while working on the case.
According to the documents, Willis reportedly hired special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who is also her alleged romantic partner, to work on the prosecution of Trump. In addition, it is said that Wade benefitted financially from the relationship, with the two of them going on lavish vacations using funds his firm received for working the case. These allegations have not been confirmed or denied by Willis.
The situation has caught the attention of Michael Moore, an Obama-appointed former U.S. attorney, who believes that if the claims are true, they could significantly harm the case. In an interview with CNN, Moore stated that “cases are not lost because of some ‘Matlock’ moment, some moment like you see in ‘My Cousin Vinny,’ where suddenly somebody finds the evidence. Cases die by the death of 1,000 cuts. This is a cut on the case.”
Trump’s co-defendant, Michael Roman, has also raised concerns about the alleged affair between Willis and Wade. Roman, a former official in Trump’s 2020 campaign, argues that the integrity of the case has been compromised because of the supposed affair. As a result, he has asked for the charges against him to be dropped.
Moore, a Democrat who served as U.S. attorney from 2010 to 2015, believes that Willis should step away from the case in light of these allegations. “I’d tell her to get out of the case. I really think that in this type of case, with these allegations, this case is bigger than any one prosecutor,” Moore said in the interview. “And I think, probably, to preserve the case and to show that what’s of most importance to her is the facts of the Trump case, opposed to her political career.”
The allegations have also brought to light the financial aspect of the case. According to records from Fulton County, Wade has been paid almost $654,000 in legal fees since January 2022, an amount authorized by the district attorney. This calls into question the objectivity of Wade’s involvement in the case.
As a result of these revelations, the defense has called for the entire district attorney’s office, including Willis and Wade, to be disqualified from the prosecution of the case. This could potentially mean starting the case over with a new team of prosecutors, delaying the trial, and causing further challenges for the court system.
Trump himself has not directly commented on the allegations against Willis and Wade. However, he has previously criticized the case brought against him, calling it a “witch hunt” and claiming that it is politically motivated. These new developments bring even more attention to the case and its potential implications for the former president.
It remains to be seen how the court will address these allegations and the impact they may have on the case. As the trial date nears, all eyes will be on Willis and the district attorney’s office for any decision or action regarding the accusations. The outcome of this situation could have significant consequences not only for Trump but also for the integrity of the legal system and its ability to provide fair and impartial justice.