(The Center Square) – Judge Scott McAfee, the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump’s Georgia election interference racketeering case, ruled Friday that despite allegations of misconduct, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a Democrat, can remain on Trump’s case.
McAfee ruled, however, that Willis must remove legal counsel Nathan Wade, with whom she had an affair and allegedly misused taxpayer dollars for, from the case. Willis could also withdraw from the case, and Wade would then be allowed to remain.
Willis has been accused of overpaying Wade, whom she has had a romantic relationship with, using taxpayer dollars. Willis hired Wade to work on the Trump case, but the allegations fueled a push to have her removed from the case.
One of Trump’s lawyers blasted the decision.
“While respecting the Court’s decision, we believe that the Court did not afford appropriate significance to the prosecutorial misconduct of Willis and Wade, including the financial benefits, testifying untruthfully about when their personal relationship began, as well as Willis’ extrajudicial MLK ‘church speech,’ where she played the race card and falsely accused the defendants and their counsel of racism,” top Trump lawyer Steve Sadow said in a statement, according to The Hill.
“We will use all legal options available as we continue to fight to end this case, which should never have been brought in the first place,” he added.
McAfee earlier this week threw out a few of the charges against Trump and some of his alleged co-conspirators, but dozens still remain. Overall, Trump faces nearly 90 criminal charges across several states.
“Whether this case ends in convictions, acquittals, or something in between, the result should be one that instills confidence in the process,” McAfee said in the ruling. “A reasonable observer unburdened by partisan blinders should believe the law was impartially applied, that those accused of crimes had a fair opportunity to present their defenses, and that any verdict was based on our criminal justice system’s best efforts at ascertaining the truth.”
McAfee did say there is not enough evidence to prove a conflict of interest.
“After consideration of the record established on these motions, the Court finds the allegations and evidence legally insufficient to support a finding of an actual conflict of interest,” McAfee said in the ruling. “However, the appearance of impropriety remains and must be handled as previously outlined before the prosecution can proceed. The Defendants’ motions are therefore granted in part and denied in part.”
Trump has repeatedly attacked Willis and the other cases against him.
“The things that took place at the Manhattan D.A.’s office, in conjunction with people from the DOJ put in charge of ‘getting TRUMP,’ are truly a sight to behold,” Trump wrote on TruthSocial Thursday. “They illegally withheld thousands of pages of documents. Then you have the really shady ‘Pomerantz’ issue, and wow, people have never seen anything like this one. This will make Fani and her ‘lover’ look like small potatoes!!!”
