The governor of Georgia described accusations of impropriety by the district attorney pursuing charges involving Trump’s election intervention as “deeply troubling” in an interview he gave to The Post on Friday.
According to a spokesman for Governor Brian Kemp, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis may be subject to an investigation by a special panel into her alleged “improper” connection with Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor she appointed.
The governor’s office issued a statement to The Post stating, “These allegations are deeply troubling and evidence should be presented quickly for [presiding] Judge McAfee to rule and the public to have confidence in this trial moving forward.”.
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Michael Roman, one of the 18 co-defendants of Donald Trump in Willis’ Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act inquiry, initially accused the co-prosecutors of having a “clandestine” connection in a Monday petition.
Ashleigh Merchant, Roman’s lawyer, said that Willis and Wade had “violated laws regulating the use of public monies, suffer from irreparable conflicts of interest, and have violated their oaths of office under the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct and should be disqualified from prosecuting this matter.”
The court filing said Wade used the money from the Fulton County DA’s Office to pay for expensive trips with Willis to Florida, Napa Valley, and the Caribbean. Those claims are not true.
Kemp enacted a new statewide Prosecuting Attorneys Statewide Qualifications Commission (PAQC) last year. This commission can look into complaints against District Attorneys and remove them if there is enough evidence. “Misconduct in office” is one of the crimes listed in the law as reasons for firing a lawyer.
The Georgia General Assembly established a certain procedure to look into cases like this, and Georgians must be able to trust this trial,” the governor’s office stated in a statement to The Post.
“The PAQC has the authority to look into allegations of misconduct made by district attorneys and solicitors general, and for those who meet the requirements for removal, to discipline, remove, or cause their involuntary retirement.”
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene “has the right” to bring the case to the commission, according to Kemp’s spokeswoman, as she filed a criminal complaint against Willis earlier this week, according to The Post.
Greene, a Republican from Georgia, submitted a complaint on Wednesday asking the Fulton County district attorney to look into her claimed “secret boyfriend,” Nathan Wade, the prosecutor working for her office in the former president’s case.
It won’t be prepared to accept complaints, though, until July 2024, when the commissioners’ terms officially start.
Willis remained mostly hidden from view on Friday. Wade made a quick appearance in court, but he said his colleagues would take care of his duties.
Former Trump attorney John Eastman was represented by criminal defense and civil rights attorney Harvey Silverglate in the RICO case. According to Silverglate, neither his client nor the other defendants thought that their case was being handled by a prosecutor who didn’t have “an axe to grind.”
“When she [Willis] has a close relationship with the person who is going to try the case, it’s very challenging,” he said to The Post.
In addition, he said that Wade’s first selection as a special prosecutor was unexpected considering his inexperience.
He remarked, “It’s mind-boggling that this is someone with no experience in this kind of case, which is very difficult to try.”
The best result for his client, in Silverglate’s opinion, would be for the state Attorney General to designate a special prosecutor to handle the case.
The district attorney’s independence and independent judgment are put into doubt. “Of course, this has an impact on public trust because it is critical not only that justice be done, but that the public sees that justice is done,” he said.
“So it throws a gigantic monkey wrench in this whole thing.”
Earlier last week, Roman’s attorneys made various claims against Willis and Wade in their motion to dismiss the lawsuit.
Willis’ legal team claimed in the move that he did not acquire the Fulton County Commission’s consent before selecting Wade as special prosecutor.
The Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, led by Republican Pete Skandalakis, claimed District Attorneys in the state were not required to obtain approval from county commissions before making such recruits, according to The New York Times.
Willis’ attorneys also claimed she had a conflict of interest that violated her oath of office. They also charged Willis and Wade with breaking the county’s “Code of Laws” and “The Rules of Professional Conduct Regarding Conflicts of Interest.”
Meanwhile, Willis — who, according to insiders, has been working with Wade since at least 2019 — gushed over him and hailed him as a “personal mentor” and “meaningful person” in a January 2021 interview with South Atlanta Magazine.