OAN’s James Meyers
8:44 AM -Friday, March 15, 2024
A Georgia judge has ruled that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis can stay on the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump if special prosecutor Nathan Wade steps aside.
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Judge Scott McAfee ruled on Friday that Willis’ and Wade’s romantic relationship at the time was an appearance of conflict of interest in the racketeering case, which allows Willis to stay on the case if Wade leaves.
“The District Attorney may choose to step aside, along with the whole of her office … Alternatively, [special attorney] 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,” Judge McAfee wrote.
“The established record now highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team — an appearance that must be removed through the State’s selection of one of two options. The Defendants’ motions are therefore granted in part,” McAfee wrote in his 23-page ruling.
The allegations claimed Willis had become romantically involved with Wade before 2021, when she appointed him as the special prosecutor in the election interference case and benefited from his appointment in the form of trips they took together.
Meanwhile, Trump and eight of his co-defendants argued that the relationship tarnished the entire case and as a result the entire district attorney’s office should be taken off it.
During the trial both Willis and Wade admitted to the affair, but claimed under oath the relationship only became official in 2022, after they had already brought the case against the 45th president and 18 others.
However, testimonies from witnesses contradicted the claims by Willis and Wade.
“As the case moves forward, reasonable members of the public could easily be left to wonder whether the financial exchanges have continued resulting in some form of benefit to the District Attorney, or even whether the romantic relationship has resumed,” McAfee wrote.
McAfee stated that the relationship of Willis and Wade was a “tremendous lapse in judgment” and stated the defense raised “reasonable questions” about whether the two lovers had testified truthfully.
The judge also stated that the relationship is not a conflict of interest but made his decision a split ruling with some of the motions put forward by Trump and his co-defendants “granted in part and denied in part.”
Trump and almost all of his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to their charges.
A trial date has not been set, and the defendants have multiple pending motions to get their charges tossed.
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