Embattled Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis on Friday stayed on the case involving former President Donald Trump and accepted the resignation of her lead investigator following a judge’s ruling that one of them had to step aside.
Judge Scott McAfee, overseeing Trump’s election interference racketeering case, said Willis can remain on the case if she removed legal counsel Nathan Wade. He resigned a short time later.
Had Willis stepped down, the case would have been transferred to Georgia’s Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council for reassignment.
The romantic relationship of Willis and Wade came to light during Trump’s trial, and McAfee said “confidence in the process” was paramount.
Trump and 18 others are charged with trying to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. Wade was hired to lead the investigative team. The allegations against the prosecutors involve improper use of taxpayer money; neither has been criminally charged.
McAfee earlier this week threw out three charges against Trump and three others involving alleged co-conspirators. Trump faces 88 felony charges in four cases spread in Georgia, Florida, New York and the District of Columbia.
“Whether this case ends in convictions, acquittals, or something in between, the result should be one that instills confidence in the process,” McAfee said in the ruling. “A reasonable observer unburdened by partisan blinders should believe the law was impartially applied, that those accused of crimes had a fair opportunity to present their defenses, and that any verdict was based on our criminal justice system’s best efforts at ascertaining the truth.”
McAfee did say there is not enough evidence to prove a conflict of interest.
“After consideration of the record established on these motions, the Court finds the allegations and evidence legally insufficient to support a finding of an actual conflict of interest,” McAfee said in the ruling. “However, the appearance of impropriety remains and must be handled as previously outlined before the prosecution can proceed. The Defendants’ motions are therefore granted in part and denied in part.”
Trump lawyer Steve Sadow was unhappy with the judge’s ruling that gave either prosecutor a chance to remain.
“While respecting the court’s decision, we believe that the court did not afford appropriate significance to the prosecutorial misconduct of Willis and Wade, including the financial benefits, testifying untruthfully about when their personal relationship began, as well as Willis’ extrajudicial MLK ‘church speech,’ where she played the race card and falsely accused the defendants and their counsel of racism,” top Trump lawyer Steve Sadow said in a statement, according to The Hill.
“We will use all legal options available as we continue to fight to end this case, which should never have been brought in the first place,” he added.
Trump has repeatedly attacked Willis and the other cases against him.
“The things that took place at the Manhattan D.A.’s office, in conjunction with people from the DOJ put in charge of ‘getting TRUMP,’ are truly a sight to behold,” Trump wrote on TruthSocial Thursday. “They illegally withheld thousands of pages of documents. Then you have the really shady ‘Pomerantz’ issue, and wow, people have never seen anything like this one. This will make Fani and her ‘lover’ look like small potatoes!!!”
