The judge in the Trump-Georgia case has ordered Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) to answer to accusations that she hired her romantic partner as a top prosecutor on the case.
Judge Scot McAfee on Thursday ordered Willis to respond to the allegations in writing by Feb. 2, and has scheduled a hearing on the matter for Feb. 15.
The accusation, first found in a court filing by attorney and Trump co-defendant Mike Roman, accuses Willis of hiring her paramour Nathan Wade - whose involvement, Roman argues, makes the indictment "fatally defective." Roman has asked McAfee to dismiss the charges, and to block the Fulton County DA's office from further involvement in the case.
Wade (who was hired without proper approval), is a private attorney in the midst of a divorce who "has little to no experience trying felony cases, much less complex RICO actions," according to a 127-page filing in former President Donald Trump's 2020 election trial in Georgia.
Wade ended up pocketing nearly $700,000 from Fulton county taxpayers - with which he allegedly took Willis on lavish vacations. He also billed taxpayers $2,000 to talk to the Biden White House about prosecuting Biden's political opponent.
Allegations surfaced last week from one of Trump’s co-defendants, Mike Roman, a political operative who served as Trump’s director of Election Day operations on his 2020 reelection campaign, who accused Willis and Wade of engaging in an “improper” romantic relationship.
Citing “sources close” to both Willis and Wade, Roman’s lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, claimed the pair have been involved in an “ongoing, personal and romantic relationship,” and went on vacations together. The filings argued the alleged relationship, which Merchant claims started before the election interference began, makes the indictment “fatally defective” and requests it be dismissed. -The Hill
During a church service last Sunday, Willis appeared to defend her actions.
"I’m a little confused. I appointed three special counselors. It’s my right to do, paid them all the same hourly rate. They only attack one."
"I hired one white woman, a good personal friend and a great lawyer, a superstar, I tell you. I hired one white man — brilliant — my friend and a great lawyer. And I hired one Black man, another superstar, a great friend and a great lawyer," she continued, without referencing Wade by name.
"The Black man I chose has been a judge for more than 10 years, run[s] a private practice more than 20 [years]," said Willis. "Represented businesses in civil litigation … served a prosecutor, a criminal defense lawyer, special assistant attorney general."
Willis then pretended to talk to God, asking: "God, isn’t it them who’s playing the race card when they only question one?"
How many of the other attorneys was Fani (allegedly) banging?
More recently we learned that Fani was coordinating with the Jan. 6 committee to shape her case against Trump.
In mid-April of 2022, Committee staff quietly met with attorneys working on the case in Fulton County for DA Fani Willis, right around the time she was preparing to convene a special grand jury investigation - during which she employed her alleged paramour, Nathan Wade, who would also coordinate with the Biden White House on their case.
So - Fani coordinated with both the J6 committee and the White House, who helped them assemble their case against the former president.
