OAN’s James Myers
8:44am – Friday, March 15, 2024
A Georgia judge has ruled that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis can remain on the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump if special prosecutor Nathan Wade resigns.
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Judge Scott McAfee ruled Friday that Willis and Wade’s then-romance constituted a conflict of interest in the racketeering case, allowing Willis to remain in the case even if Wade resigns.
“The district attorney may choose to step aside along with the entire office…or [special attorney] Mr. Wade can be withdrawn, and the District Attorney, the defendant, and the public can move forward without Mr. Wade’s appearance or remuneration interfering with or potentially undermining the merits of the case. ,” Judge McAfee wrote.
“The established record highlights serious misconduct affecting the current structure of the prosecution team, which could be eliminated by the State choosing one of two options. Therefore, Defendants’ motion is partially granted,” McAfee wrote in his 23-page decision.
The complaint alleges that Willis had a romantic relationship with Wade before 2021, and that she benefited from Wade’s appointment as special prosecutor in an election interference case by traveling together. .
Trump and his eight co-defendants, meanwhile, argued that the relationship tainted the entire case and, as a result, that the entire district attorney’s office should be removed from the investigation.
During the trial, Willis and Wade both admitted to having an affair, but claimed under oath that their relationship only became official in 2022 and that they had already filed lawsuits against 45 people.th 18 people including the president.
However, witness testimony contradicted Willis and Wade’s claims.
“As the case progresses, a reasonable citizen would wonder if the financial exchange continued to benefit the district attorney in some way, or even if the romantic relationship was rekindled,” McAfee said. “You will be left wondering,” he wrote.
McAfee said the relationship between Willis and Wade was a “serious error in judgment” and that the defense raised “reasonable doubts” about whether the two lovers testified truthfully.
The judge also said the relationship was not a conflict of interest, but issued a split ruling that “partly granted and partially denied” some of the claims filed by Trump and his co-defendants.
Trump and nearly all of his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
No trial date has been set, and the defendants have pending multiple motions to dismiss the charges.
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