Posted on 02/12/2024 8:55:30 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Political junkies might be in for quite a treat on Thursday. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has found herself embroiled in quite a scandal that could deal significant damage to her politically motivated effort to prosecute former President Donald Trump.
On Monday, reports confirmed that a Georgia state judge will hold a hearing this Thursday to look at allegations that Willis engaged in an improper romantic relationship with one of the prosecutors she hired to prosecute the former president.
A Georgia state judge on Monday confirmed that he will hold an evidentiary hearing on Thursday over allegations that embattled District Attorney Fani Willis engaged in an “improper” affair.
Willis was accused of having an “improper” affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she hired to help prosecute former President Donald Trump in a sweeping racketeering case related to the 2020 election. Those allegations were first made by Trump co-defendant Michael Roman, who is arguing that Willis’ alleged conduct should disqualify her and her team from the case.
Willis, who admitted to a personal relationship with Wade but denied any conflict of interest, asked the court to cancel the evidentiary hearing slated for later this week.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said in a hearing Monday considering those motions, “in studying the law that’s been filed up to this point, I think it’s clear that disqualification can occur if evidence is produced demonstrating an actual conflict or the appearance of one. And the filing submitted on this issue so far have presented a conflict in the evidence that can’t be resolved as a matter of law.”
That last part is key. Fulton County is bracing for a significant hearing that could reshape the trajectory of the election interference case against Trump. Needless to say, the development has ignited a volcano of speculation coming from members of the chattering class. The possibility that Willis could be disqualified from the case has raised more than a few eyebrows.
Willis has characterized the scrutiny over the affair as being motivated by racism and political concerns. She even accused the wife of her lover of collaborating with Trump’s team to discredit her.
Earlier this month, Willis finally confessed to having an affair with Nathan Wade, who is currently leading the effort to prosecute Trump and his co-defendants.
That is the first official admission from Willis (and Wade), and it came as part of a 176-page filing that argued the affair did not prejudice the case.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis (D) admitted she had a personal relationship with an outside prosecutor she appointed to manage the election interference case against former president Donald Trump and his allies but denied claims that the relationship had tainted the proceedings.
In a 176-page court filing on Friday, Willis called the claims against her “meritless” and “salacious.” She asked a judge to reject motions from Trump and other co-defendants that seek to disqualify her and her office from the case and to do so without a hearing. Willis denied claims of misconduct and said there was no evidence that the relationship between her and special prosecutor Nathan Wade had prejudiced the case.
Willis’s response came more than three weeks after Mike Roman, one of Trump’s remaining 14 co-defendants in the criminal case and a former high-ranking campaign aide during the 2020 election, alleged in a court filing that Willis was engaged in a “personal, romantic relationship” with Wade, whose firm has been paid more than $653,000 by the district attorney’s office since he was tapped as an outside prosecutor on the case in November 2021.
The judge overseeing Willis’ prosecution has already ordered a mid-February hearing to see all the evidence of possible misconduct. Records from Wade’s divorce and witness testimony are expected to be presented. Whether any of that moves the judge to find Willis unfit to continue is a big unknown. I would assume it’s more likely another prosecutor will take her place if she’s disqualified.
If Willis is disqualified, it could delay the case against Trump, but it is not likely to derail it. If another prosecutor steps in, this person would simply pick up where the previous one left off.
Still, this could have tremendous blowback for Willis’ career and also public perception of the overall case against the former president, which many view as political. The upcoming hearing is much more than just a legal formality; it could be a pivotal moment that influences the dynamics of the case.
Could. May. Weighing. Considering. The football is tied up. Where’s Charlie Brown?
That will not be an easy task.
Once they remember she is a Democrat, she will not be disqualified.
The Red State author is carrying water for the globalist.
The whole premise is Willes was profiteering from the case against Trump. that literally derails the case. You cannot pick up where it left of if she is disqualified, it calls into question how and why she even brought the case in the first place.
To me, this case is open/shut for removing Fani and Wade. That doesn’t mean it will happen but I see no reason not to remove them.
Consider:
1. She hired a special prosecutor (her boyfriend, no less) and paid him far more than others with more experience.
2. She personally benefitted from the higher payments, since he used his fees to buy her gifts, trips, et. al. This is called “money laundering”.
3. She is trying Trump for RICO violations, yet she herself has engaged in RICO, that is colluding with others to subvert funds to their own gain.
4. She had an employee whistleblower tell her (it’s on tape) that a $500,000 federal grant was being used in her office for unauthorized purchases. This employee was fired by Willis. Willis has used the specious argument that this is only being publicized because of Racism!, yet this employee was a black woman.
5. The judge in the Trump case, the US House, the Ga. House, the Ga. Senate and the Fulton County commissioner (auditor) have all demanded that she explain her actions regarding abuse of funds.
There is no valid case for keeping her ... if she is not thrown off the case, it just means the fix is in.
If you listen carefully to the judge… in the hearing there will be a bar that has to be reached. The gist of it is ‘what law did they break?’ …. Hey, if they didn’t break the law then ‘no problem.’ Fani and Wade admitted to the court they had a relationship. The judge is in a position to listen to the defense as to how this corrupt behavior equates to breaking the law. It’s unethical to hire a person who you are having a sexual relationship with. I think the defense better have the exact statute and focus on that alone. I don’t know how much latitude the judge has in getting these two corrupt hacks to speak under oath. But, you cannot tell any reasonable person that Fani and Wade sleeping and eating together do not enjoy the benefits of the Wade’s income that was awarded by Fani. Fani would have to produce credit card receipts that she paid for her own meals and habitation while with Wade on these outings. The judge has the appearance of being reasonable… I think if this case blows up in Fani’s face it is poetic justice. Of all the cases in the USA this is the one with VIDEO feed! The nation can pop popcorn and watch the corruption on the big screen Thursday. Fani will not be in a church mocking God with her claims of racism and her ill treatment - she’ll be in front of an earthly judge for the world to see.
Why is Wade immune from the same conflict of interest? Or is he next and it’s a matter of timing and delay on the defense team’s part?
It took two to tango. He benefited from the largess (spellchecker saved me) before Fani did.
EC
I should know but I dont.
Is this Judge just a leftist hack..or will this truly be considered as a disqualifier for fat-@ss Fani in a fair and impartial manner?
Fanny’s stink is so strong on so many levels, it’s 80% she and her BroBro are thrown out.
But, she is a black collectivist, so that may end up being enough to keep her on the case.
Very good thoughtful analysis. Thanks.
However, besides “breaking a law”, there are also ethical violations involved here, also. I will make some assumptions, here:
1. Fani and her cohorts did not bring this case to “put Trump in prison”. Oh, I know they would love that, but the purpose of this case, which was coordinated by the WH, is mainly to harass Trump and his associates.
2. So she goes to her boyfriend and says, “look, we have the “golden goose of trial cases! We will have money pouring in for this case and I can hire you at an exorbitant rate, and we both cash in.” What a deal!
If this is the initiating scenario, and I believe it is, then the judge has to rule this illicit arrangement as a spectacular case of conflict of interest, and ironically, a RICO violation.
Not just Fani Willis should Be disqualified From Trump case the charges should be too it’s a bogus rigged case down to the judge.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.