A Georgia judge has decided to conduct televised hearings later this week to address the potential disqualification of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the election fraud case against former President Donald Trump.
This decision comes in light of her romantic involvement with the special prosecutor she appointed to oversee the case, which has raised concerns.
However, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee issued a warning to the lawyers who were attempting to have Willis and Nathan Wade dismissed from the case. He made it clear that he will not tolerate any efforts to tarnish their reputations with unverified accusations.
“If there’s anything related to harassment or undue embarrassment, I won’t hesitate to intervene, even without an objection from counsel, to ensure that the discussion stays on track and focused on the relevant matters,” McAfee stated during a lengthy emergency hearing on Monday.
Despite emphasizing the lack of evidence supporting the allegations, McAfee’s decision dealt a significant blow to Willis and Wade. The two had been vigorously fighting to cancel the hearing and avoid testifying, as their lawyers had been advocating.
McAfee organized an emergency hearing to give Wade, Willis, and other potential witnesses’ attorneys an opportunity to challenge the subpoenas that ordered their clients to testify at the upcoming evidentiary hearing on Thursday.
Wade and Willis Deny Allegations; Hearing to Address Relationship and Financial Gain Claims in Trump Prosecution
Wade and Willis have strongly asserted their innocence and argued that the ongoing prosecution of Trump and 14 co-defendants should be permitted to continue.
They acknowledged in a recent court filing that they have been involved in a personal relationship, which started after Willis brought the private attorney on board to handle the high-profile case in November 2021. According to McAfee, the acknowledged relationship between Willis and Wade is not in question.
However, what still needs to be established is whether Willis received any financial gain from it, as claimed by Michael Roman, a former Trump campaign official who is also facing charges related to the alleged attempt to overturn Trump’s loss in Georgia to Joe Biden in 2020.
“In my opinion, it is necessary to hold an evidentiary hearing to establish the record on the core allegations, as there is a possibility that the defendant’s facts could lead to disqualification,” stated McAfee. According to McAfee, it is expected that both Willis and Wade will provide testimony during the hearing.
Additionally, the hearing may be extended through Friday and potentially even longer due to various procedural disputes and efforts to present and challenge allegations. One of the main points to be addressed at trial is whether Willis gained any financial advantages from her association with Wade.
A lawyer representing Roman, Ashleigh Merchant, has claimed that Wade allegedly used a portion of the substantial payment he received as a special prosecutor to fund trips for Willis to various destinations, including California wine country, Florida, and Caribbean cruises.
In a recent development, Merchant has claimed that the affair started before Willis hired Wade, which has raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest that could impact the case.