The judge overseeing Georgia’s election fraud case against former President Donald Trump has called a trial on charges that District Attorney Fani Willis and her lead prosecutor had an improper relationship.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee scheduled a hearing for Feb. 15 — and set a Feb. 2 deadline for Willis to respond to allegations that she had an inappropriate relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, according to a brief order from Thursday.
On the same day, his legal team also made a filing in the divorce case of the prosecutor, Nathan Wade, in which he tried to get out of sitting for burning by his ex-wife, who had tried to bring down Willis.
Roman, who served as Trump’s director of Election Day operations in 2020, asked the judge to disqualify the entire prosecution team because of the allegations.
“…The District Attorney chose to appoint his romantic partner, who at all times relevant to this prosecution was a married man,” Roman alleged in court papers.
He also accused Wade — a private attorney with the Atlanta-based Wade & Campbell Firm — of using some of the nearly $654,000 in legal fees he collected from the Fulton County DA’s Office for his work on the Trump case to take Willis on vacation to “California, Florida and the Caribbean .”
Willis’ attorney also made the filing in the divorce case between Wade and his estranged wife, Joycelyn Wade, which has been ongoing since 2021.
Willis asked the judge to quash a subpoena for her testimony alleging the Wades’ marriage was “irretrievable” as early as 2017 — before she and Nathan had ever met — and “after Joycelyn admitted to having an adulterous relationship with [Nathan’s] old friends,” the filing claims.
“There is no information that District Attorney Willis can provide that may prove relevant to granting or denying the divorce,” claims a court document filed by Willis’ attorney, Cinque Axam.
Fulton County DA Fani Willis (center) allegedly had an affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade (right). Getty Images
Joycelyn’s effort to oust Willis — filed the same day Roman filed the affair allegations as part of his effort to escape criminal charges — was only intended to harass Willis and “damage his professional reputation,” Axam wrote.
The lawyer even alleged that Joycelyn had “connived with interested parties in the criminal election interference case” to “coordinate” the filing of court papers in the two cases, all to try to embarrass Willis, in the filing.
Joycelyn’s actions were “obstruction and interference” with the criminal matter and the deposition would be “burdensome” for the DA, the filing alleges.
Willis’ attorney notably chose not to discuss whether Willis and Wade’s relationship happened, and if they were indeed still together.
In a speech at Greater Bethel AME Church on Sunday, Willis called Wade a “great friend and a great lawyer” along with a “superstar,” but failed to mention his name. He also suggested the accusations against Wade were racially motivated.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee scheduled a hearing for February 15. Getty Images
“Aren’t they playing the race card when they always think I need someone from some other jurisdiction in some other state to tell me how to do the job I’ve been doing for almost 30 years?” he said, noting that two other prosecutors in the case, who are white, emerged unscathed.
Roman countered the allegations, pointing out the other two special prosecutors had “no connection” to Willis.
Trump’s co-defendant Mike Roman made the affair claims. Fulton County
Roman is one of 14 remaining co-defendants in a high-profile racketeering case that alleges Trump and his associates interfered in the 2020 presidential election.
The February 15 hearing now threatens to publicly embarrass Willis in a televised court proceeding – and could potentially derail the investigation entirely.
The divorce case was sealed in February 2022 but it appears that Roman’s efforts to open the marriage case have been successful, as the recent filing is publicly accessible online.
Axam and divorce lawyers on both sides did not immediately return requests for comment Thursday.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
