Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has warned ‘the train is coming’ for Donald Trump in his Georgia election interference case – and that the side-story about her relationship with the prosecutor hasn’t slowed proceedings ‘at all’.
Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled Willis can remain in her role for the trial as long as her lover Nathan Wade stepped down as special prosecutor.
The suit revolves around whether Trump broke any laws as he tried to overturn his loss in the state following the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden.
Wade had led the team of lawyers Willis assembled to prosecute the case since the previous president and 18 others were indicted in August, but their relationship led to concerns the couple could pursue financial gain through the proceedings.
Willis, 53, has said she’s ‘not embarrassed’ by the relationship and that efforts to ‘slow down’ the progress of the case against Trump by his defense team have been unsuccessful.
Fani Willis has warned ‘the train is coming’ for Donald Trump in his Georgia election interference case and that the side-story about her relationship with the prosecutor hasn’t slowed prosecutors ‘at all’
The Fulton County District Attorney came under scrutiny for her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she hired for the case, Nathan Wade (pictured) – but while Wade was removed from the case, she avoided being disqualified
The case revolves around whether Trump broke any laws as he tried to overturn his loss in the state following the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden. (Pictured: Trump at a rally in Georgia earlier in March 2024)
‘I don’t feel like my reputation needs to be reclaimed. Let’s say it for the record – I’m not embarrassed by anything I’ve done,’ she told CNN at a community event in College Park, Atlanta on Saturday.
‘I guess my greatest crime is I had a relationship with a man, but that’s not something that I find embarrassing in any way.
‘I know that I have not done anything that is illegal.’
Referring to two months of hearings and court action over her romantic relationship, she added: ‘While that was going on, we were writing responsive briefs, we were still doing the case in a way that it needed to be done.
‘I don’t feel like we’ve been slowed down at all. I do think there are efforts to slow down this train, but the train is coming.’
Her latest comments come as defense attorneys continue to press claims about her handling of a sprawling prosecution against the former president and current GOP presumptive nominee.
Trump faces four felony indictments — including separate federal and state cases for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that he lost to President Joe Biden.
His team has fought to delay and dismiss the cases, arguing that political opponents are wrongly targeting him.
Willis spoke days after a Georgia judge allowed attorneys for Trump’s co-defendants to appeal his ruling that she could stay on the case after the withdrawal of Wade.
That may allow defense attorneys to amplify allegations of impropriety between Wade and Willis.
Trump faces four felony indictments — including separate federal and state cases for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that he lost to President Joe Biden. (Pictured: Trump’s mugshot for the case)
Fani Willis made the comments to CNN on Saturday
Anthony Michael Kreis, a Georgia State University law professor who’s been following the case, criticized her comments in a post on X
Willis and Wade acknowledged the affair in filings and testimony
Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee presides in court, Feb. 27, 2024, in Atlanta
Defense attorneys have alleged Willis hired Wade to profit from the Trump prosecution through their romantic relationship.
Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said there wasn’t sufficient evidence to prove those claims but rebuked Willis for what he called a ‘tremendous lapse in judgment.’
Anthony Michael Kreis, a Georgia State University law professor who’s been following the case, criticized her comments in a post on X.
‘If I were Fani Willis, I would simply not talk to the media at all at this point just out of an abundance of caution,’ Kreis said.
In a 23-page ruling Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee slammed Willis for a ‘tremendous lapse in judgment’ and for acting in an ‘unprofessional manner’ but said she could stay on the case if Wade stepped down.
He reasoned that not enough evidence had been shown to establish her romantic relationship with Wade amounted to an ‘actual conflict of interest’.
Trump’s lawyers slammed the decision to let Willis stay on the case and said they would pursue ‘all legal options’ in response.
At a rally in Greensboro, North Carolina earlier this month, Trump went after Wade seizing on his lack of experience prosecuting crimes in Atlanta before being tapped to lead the election interference case, saying ‘he never did that before.’
‘But he did the other thing before that he did with Fani, he did plenty of that,’ Trump added, referring to their romantic relations.
‘That’s what he’s good at I guess,’ Trump said as the crowd laughed.
A close ally of the penultimate president, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, is also still attempting to disbar Willis.
In a post on Thursday, Greene wrote ‘I’m filing a complaint to disbar Fulton County DA Fani Willis for her corrupt actions.’
She added that Willis ‘should’ve been removed from her political persecution of President Trump after it was revealed she went on lavish vacations with her lover Nathan Wade.’
Anyone can submit a grievance in writing against a lawyer practicing in the state with bar. However, the early stages of any investigation are completely confidential.