HAPPENING TODAY: Judge to hold hearing on Willis allegations
Willis allegations “could result in disqualification," judge warns
The eyes of the political world will again descend upon a Fulton County courtroom Thursday, where a young jurist could make or break a historic criminal case against former President Donald Trump.
Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee will entertain a motion to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis and Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade, more than a month after a co-defendant in the election interference case accused the two prosecutors of being in an improper relationship.
Defense attorneys for Michael Roman, a former Trump campaign official, say that SP Wade has been using his county-approved salary to pay for lavish trips with DA Willis and that the two have been co-inhabiting for more than a year.
Both Willis and Wade have confirmed their relationship but say that it does not warrant disqualification because they are reaping no financial benefits from any verdict. They have also said that travel expenses have been split between the two of them. But Roman’s attorneys will try to prove that their relationship began before Wade was hired.
Willis blasted what she called “salacious” allegations and tried to dismiss Roman’s motion without a hearing. But Judge McAfee is moving ahead with the hearing, warning that Roman’s allegations “could result in disqualification.”
It is unclear if the two prosecutors will testify at Thursday’s hearing, with the judge saying that he wants to hear from witnesses first. But if the DA’s office is disqualified, it could throw one of the biggest criminal cases in the country into chaos.
The facts of the case will not change, nor will the charges be immediately dismissed. But a disqualification could delay any trials for months, possibly until after the 2024 presidential election. It could also lead to the entire case being assigned to a different prosecutor who might ultimately dismiss it.
Thursday’s hearing, like most proceedings in this case, will be streamed live on the court’s YouTube channel.