A defendant in a Georgia election interference case indicted alongside former President Trump doubles down on allegations that the top prosecutor in the case had a romantic relationship with Georgia’s Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) before he was hired. Ta.
2020 Trump campaign operative Michael Roman. in court filings Friday asked the judge to move forward with plans for a hearing so Roman’s team can cross-examine Willis and special counsel Nathan Wade in an effort to remove them from the case.
Roman’s lawyer, Ashley Merchant, said the 2019 press conference aimed to show that Willis and Wade had begun “more than just a friendship.” That was three years before the two claimed their relationship began, and before Wade was hired to interfere in the election. case.
“They want this court to just look at the rising smoke cloud and say, ‘There’s no fire here, there’s nothing else to look at,'” Merchant wrote. “It’s not that simple.”
The Hill has reached out to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office for comment.
Earlier in the day, Willis admitted for the first time that he began a “personal relationship” with Wade in 2022, but maintained that they were just friends when he first hired Wade, calling him an experienced He is capable of leading one of the historic prosecutions against a former president who vigorously defended his decision to do so by pretending to be a lawyer.
She also argued there was no legal basis for disqualification and asked the judge to deny her and Wade’s request to leave the court without a hearing.
However, Mr Merchant rejected Mr Willis’ chronology of the relationship and suggested he had witnesses to refute the claims.
Roman’s lawyers also presented receipts showing Wade and Willis shared a king-bedded hotel room in Aruba in November 2022, as well as witness testimony that they lived together at other times. He said any claims that Wade and Willis were not living together, such as through promises, would be disproven on cross-examination.
“This is a criminal case, not a civil case. You can’t decide it on a unilateral, self-serving affidavit,” she wrote.
“Some of the people Mr. Roman subpoenaed to testify have personal knowledge that the personal relationship between Mr. Wade and Mr. Willis began before he was appointed special counsel.” continued Mr. Merchant. “In other words, they know that Mr. Willis’ claims in both the state’s answer and Wade’s affidavit are false.”
It added: “This is why Mr. Roman has the right to cross-examine state witnesses, including Mr. Willis and Mr. Wade, on material facts that go to the heart of the question of whether they should be disqualified.”
A hearing on the matter is scheduled for February 15, and Willis and Wade have been subpoenaed to testify.
Roman’s allegations have become a headache for the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, raising questions about the decision-making of top prosecutors.
President Trump has lashed out at Willis since Roman first came to light about the alleged romance early last month, and has since joined a disqualification motion with another co-defendant.
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