1 of 2 | Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis acknowledged a personal relationship with a prosecutorial colleague in her election interference case against former President Donald Trump but argued it has no bearing on the proceedings. File Pool Photo by Dennis Byron/EPA-EFE
Feb. 3 (UPI) — Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani Willis has admitted a personal relationship with the lead prosecutor but denies any wrongdoing or conflicts of interest warranting her removal from the election interference case against former President Donald Trump.
Willis on Friday filed her response to a motion to dismiss her and lead prosecutor Nathan Wade from the Georgia criminal case against Trump and co-defendants for trying to overturn the 2020 election results in the Peach State.
The motion to remove her and Wade “seemingly anticipates a hearing that would last days, garner more breathless media coverage and intrude even further into the personal lives of the prosecution team in an effort to embarrass and harass the District Attorney personally,” Willis argued. “This is not an example of zealous advocacy, nor is it a good faith effort to develop a record on a disputed legal issue — it is a ticket to the circus.”
Willis said she has no financial or personal conflicts of interest that justify disqualifying her, Wade, or the Fulton County District Attorney’s office from the Georgia election interference case against former Trump.
Trump and his co-defendants “have done nothing to establish an actual conflict of interest, nor have they shown that, in the handling of the case, District Attorney Willis or Special Prosecutor Wade have acted out of any personal or financial motivation,” Willis said in her filing.
“The record before the Court falls far short of requiring disqualification or dismissal of the indictment” and the motions to remove them should be denied without further court proceedings, she added.
Wade provided a supporting affidavit saying he never shared any money with Willis while acknowledging the two are in a relationship. Wade also said he has no financial interest in the trial’s outcome.
Willis said the approximately $650,000 paid to Wade is less than the average hourly rate for an attorney in the greater Atlanta area and reflects the large number of hours required to prosecute a case of such magnitude.
The relationship between Willis and Wade came to light during a divorce proceeding between Wade and his wife, who provided credit card statements showing Wade paid for airline tickets for Willis to Miami and San Francisco.
Willis said she has no intention of stepping down from the case, which might not have another Georgia prosecutor willing to undertake, CNN reported.
