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Judge rules Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis can stay on Trump election interference case
Just the News ^ | March 15, 2024 9:07am Updated: March 15, 2024 11:41am | Madeleine Hubbard

Posted on 03/15/2024 9:37:00 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum

A judge in Georgia ruled Friday that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis can remain on the case in which former President Trump and 18 co-defendants are accused of meddling in the 2020 election results.

However, Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee said either Willis or special prosecutor Nathan Wade can stay on case, not both, after hearing arguments that Willis and Wade's personal relationship compromised the case.

"The District Attorney may choose to step aside, along with the whole of her office, and refer the prosecution to the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council for reassignment," McAfee wrote. 

"Alternatively, SADA Wade can withdraw, allowing the District Attorney, the Defendants, and the public to move forward without his presence or remuneration distracting from and potentially compromising the merits of this case," he added. 

A Trump co-defendant tried to have Willis removed upon learning she and Wade, whom Willis hired for the case, had or were having a romantic relationship. Among the arguments was that Willis financially benefitted from the deal, considering, in part, Wade was paying for them to take romantic vacations.

Read Judge's Ruling Here:

McAfee said he found the “allegations and evidence legally insufficient to support a finding of an actual conflict of interest.” However, he found there remains an “appearance of impropriety,” according to the Associated Press. 

Much of hearing last month on trying to remove Willis centered on whether she hired Wade while dating him, or after they started working together.

“Even if the romantic relationship began after SADA Wade’s initial contract in November 2021, the District Attorney chose to continue supervising and paying Wade while maintaining such a relationship," the judge wrote. "She further allowed the regular and loose exchange of money between them without any exact or verifiable measure of reconciliation."

(Excerpt) Read more at justthenews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: ethics; georgia; misconduct; perjury
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Poor judge did the only thing he could possibly do. He likely has no death wish, and has a family to protect from local ferrals. Kemp probably assured he will be taken care of regardless the fallout, as Kemp wants this to continue.


21 posted on 03/15/2024 10:01:31 AM PDT by Sir Bangaz Cracka (Poor 'lil Travon bees slamming dat white cracka'a head into dat sidewalk causin he be scared)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

This judge is corrupt. If you read his ruling, it is more convoluted in reasoning that Justice Roberts Obamacare reasoning. He dismisses Fani’s perjury as nothing. This judge and his ruling are just another nail in the coffin of our judicial system.


22 posted on 03/15/2024 10:09:53 AM PDT by falcon99 ( )
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To: Alberta's Child

People here were (wrongly) assuming that a DQ means the case goes away. Nope. It means a different prosecutor steps in.


23 posted on 03/15/2024 10:10:30 AM PDT by Tipllub
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Predicted


24 posted on 03/15/2024 10:12:00 AM PDT by Fledermaus (Is it me, or all of a sudden have the buried trolls come out on FR like cicadas? It's all noise.)
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To: falcon99; All

He also absurdly suggested the church speech was okay because specific defendants weren’t identified.

Everyone at that church and everyone who watched it knew exactly who Willis was calling racist. She tainted the jury pool and displayed incredible bias. That speech alone disqualifies her as prosecutor on the case.

Expect an appeal.


25 posted on 03/15/2024 10:25:09 AM PDT by TigerClaws
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I don’t know if you can appeal a DQ ruling. Anyone know?


26 posted on 03/15/2024 10:27:28 AM PDT by FlipWilson
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

McAfee did Trump a favor - the ability to use this on appeal is better than booting Fani.


27 posted on 03/15/2024 10:30:58 AM PDT by bigbob
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

It’s a big win for the Trump team my friends. A very, very, very big win.


28 posted on 03/15/2024 10:34:07 AM PDT by nikos1121
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To: blackdog

“”””Her office staff is done with her. She has no ethics. She is incapable of leadership. Her ethics are purely self declared.””””


That is a big assumption to make that ‘her staff is done with her’.

To the contrary I would suggest that Fani’s staff is fully supportive of her.

Remember that Fani hired more than 50 attorneys when she took office.


29 posted on 03/15/2024 10:44:57 AM PDT by Presbyterian Reporter
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Another factor to consider is that this judge may likely lose his seat while the trial is still ongoing, so what happens if McAfee loses his reelection primary on May 12?

Does McAfee stay on the case as a lame duck judge or does he recuse himself and let another judge take over the case?

-PJ

30 posted on 03/15/2024 10:47:41 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
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To: falcon99

“””This judge is corrupt. If you read his ruling, it is more convoluted in reasoning that Justice Roberts Obamacare reasoning. He dismisses Fani’s perjury as nothing. This judge and his ruling are just another nail in the coffin of our judicial system.”””


The only MAYBE, POSSIBLE REDEEMING factor for McAfee is that he worded his ruling to make it easy for the GA Appeals Court to send it back to him for a retrial.

By then the Trump team would have subpoened the text messages proving that Wade and Willis committed perjury regarding the date the relationship began.


31 posted on 03/15/2024 10:50:20 AM PDT by Presbyterian Reporter
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To: nikos1121
Not sure how big a win it is but it will keep the controversy of this case churning for a long time and it will keep Fani Willis and Nathan Wade the center of attention for quite some time Don't see this going to trial before November.
32 posted on 03/15/2024 10:59:37 AM PDT by rdcbn1
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To: rdcbn1; All

“If appeals are filed, absolutely No Chance this trial gets going before Nov. of 2024...”

Attorney Kenneth Chesebro has already pleaded guilty in the Georgia election interference case involving former President Donald Trump and his allies. His lawyer, Scott Grubman, spoke with CBS News congressional correspondent Nikole Killion about Friday’s ruling that allows District Attorney Fani Willis to stay on the case as long as Nathan Wade steps aside.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFm1neCauOM


33 posted on 03/15/2024 11:19:21 AM PDT by Texan4Life
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To: nickcarraway

Trump’s attorneys were not pushing this motion.


34 posted on 03/15/2024 12:11:03 PM PDT by GulliverSwift
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To: GulliverSwift

Who was pushing it?


35 posted on 03/15/2024 12:12:23 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: nickcarraway

Co-defendants. I’m sorry I don’t remember their names. They originated this idea.


36 posted on 03/15/2024 12:15:53 PM PDT by GulliverSwift
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To: GulliverSwift

Okay, I thought both attorneys were involved.


37 posted on 03/15/2024 12:20:43 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

May all Georgia wallow in this slime.

Justice is dead.

Never trust any Government agency or representative.


38 posted on 03/15/2024 1:49:49 PM PDT by Musketeer
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To: Presbyterian Reporter; blackdog
[blackdog #13] Her office staff is done with her.

[ resbyterian Reporter #29] That is a big assumption to make that ‘her staff is done with her’. To the contrary I would suggest that Fani’s staff is fully supportive of her. Remember that Fani hired more than 50 attorneys when she took office.

To be considered is that Fani's staff were not leading the case. She had obtained outside counsel Anna Cross. It was this attorney, working for the government, who apparently figured out during testimony that she had been set up to present perjured testimony of Terrence Bradley, and it was this attorney for the goverment who eviscerated Bradley on the witness stand. And this attorney, Anna Cross, disappeared from the case, not appearing in court or signing any further documents. We saw when Adam Abbate stepped in and gave an unimpressive closing. If Abbate was the best of Fani's staff, Fani may need to search for a hired gun willing to join in the Fani mess and replace Anna Cross.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtFzDmamVLc

Terrence Bradley addresses allegation, why he left firm (cross-examination by Anna Cross)

39 posted on 03/15/2024 2:01:55 PM PDT by woodpusher
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