Fani Willis’ future prosecuting Donald Trump in the Georgia election case hangs in the balance as lawyers began their closing arguments in her disqualification hearing Friday.
Trump’s co-defendants have called for Willis to be kicked off the case over claims she hired her prosecutor Nathan Wade after she started dating him.
First up in court Friday following a series of blockbuster televised hearings was John Merchant, the husband and law partner of Ashleigh Merchant, who first brought forth bombshell claims about the prosecutors’ affair.
‘If this court allows this kind of behavior to go on … the entire public confidence in the system will be shot. The integrity of the system will be undermined,’ said Merchant.
He said a team of defense lawyers would be able to demonstrate ‘an appearance of conflict’ in the case, and he said that alone is sufficient under state law.
He also raised the prospect of a mistrial, which could force a second time-consuming trial in a sprawling case that involves Trump and 18 co-defendants.
If the decision is reversed, ‘We would be granted a new trial,’ he said. ‘It means we’re going to have to do this all over again.’
He described a few of the details revealed in stunning evidence hearings about Willis having ‘a prosecutorial relationship with her boyfriend.’ He referenced a famous statement by Supreme Court Potter Stewart in obscenity case.
‘I think you know it when you see it,’ he said, of a conflict of interest in the case.
Steven Sadow, who represents Trump, said both Wade and Willis were untruthful when they testified that their relationship began only after Wade joined her team of prosecutors.
He said the testimony ‘brought forth a true concern about their truthfulness in being what is required of a lawyer in this state, which is candor before the tribunal.’
The lawyers appeared in court on Friday after text messages between Wade’s divorce attorney, Terrence Bradley, and an attorney for a co-defendant of Donald Trump showed damning information about Wade’s affair with Willis.
Bradley, Wade’s former divorce attorney and law partner, took the stand Tuesday, where he was shown a series of text messages in which he spoke about the timeline of Willis and Wade’s relationship – one of the central issues of the trial.
Michael Roman and other co-defendants in Trump’s case are seeking for District Attorney Fanni Willis, 53, to be disqualified over what they term was an ‘improper’ relationship.
More to follow
Fani Willis future as in prosecuting Donald Trump in the Georgia election case hangs in the balance as lawyers prepare to make their closing arguments in her disqualification hearing
Trump’s co-defendants have called for Willis to be kicked off the case over claims she hired her prosecutor Nathan Wade after she started dating him