Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis warned that “the train is coming” for Donald Trump in his Georgia election interference case. and the parallel story about his relationship with the prosecutor has not delayed the process “at all.”
Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled that Willis can remain in her role during the trial as long as her lover Nathan Wade resigns as special prosecutor, although the judge criticized the district attorney for her “tremendous error in judgment.”
The case revolves around whether Trump violated any laws in trying to reverse his loss in the state following the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden.
Wade led the team of lawyers Willis assembled to prosecute the case since the former president and 18 others were charged in August, but their relationship raised concerns that the couple could reap financial gains through the process.
Willis, 53, has said she “does not feel embarrassed” by the relationship and that her defense team’s efforts to “slow down” the progress of the case against Trump have been unsuccessful.
“I don’t think it’s necessary to recover my reputation. Let’s say it for the record: I’m not ashamed of anything I’ve done,” she said. cnn at a community event in College Park, Atlanta, on Saturday.
Fani Willis warned that “the train is coming” for Donald Trump in his Georgia election interference case and the parallel story about his relationship with the prosecutor has not slowed down prosecutors “at all.”
The Fulton County district attorney came under scrutiny for her romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she hired for the case, Nathan Wade (pictured), but although Wade was removed from the case, she avoided being disqualified.
The case revolves around whether Trump violated any laws in trying to reverse his loss in the state following the 2020 presidential election won by Joe Biden. (Pictured: Trump at a rally in Georgia in early March 2024)
“I think my biggest crime is having had a relationship with a man, but that’s not something I find shameful in any way.
“I know I haven’t done anything illegal.”
Referring to two months of hearings and court actions over their romantic relationship, he added: “While that was happening, we were writing responsive briefs, we were still pursuing the case the way it needed to be done.”
“I don’t feel like they’ve held us back at all. I think efforts are being made to stop this train, but the train is coming.”
His latest comments come as defense attorneys continue to level accusations over their handling of a sprawling lawsuit against the former president and current presumptive Republican nominee.
Trump faces four felony indictments, including separate federal and state cases, for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that he lost to President Joe Biden.
His team has fought to delay and dismiss the cases, arguing that political opponents are wrongly attacking him.
Willis spoke days after a Georgia judge allowed lawyers for Trump’s co-defendants to appeal his ruling that she could remain on the case after Wade’s withdrawal.
That could allow defense attorneys to expand on allegations of wrongdoing between Wade and Willis.
Trump faces four felony indictments, including separate federal and state cases, for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that he lost to President Joe Biden. (Pictured: Trump’s mugshot for the case)
“I think my biggest crime is having a relationship with a man, but that’s not something I find shameful in any way,” Willis told CNN.
Anthony Michael Kreis, a law professor at Georgia State University who has been following the case, criticized his comments in a post on X.
Willis and Wade acknowledged the affair in filings and testimonies.
Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee presides in court Feb. 27 in Atlanta
Defense attorneys have alleged that Willis hired Wade to profit from Trump’s prosecution through their romantic relationship.
Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said there was insufficient evidence to prove those claims, but he reprimanded Willis for what he called a “tremendous error in judgment.”
Anthony Michael Kreis, a law professor at Georgia State University who has been following the case, criticized his comments in a post on X.
“If I were Fani Willis, I just wouldn’t talk to the media right now out of sheer caution,” Kreis said.
In a 23-page ruling, Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee harshly criticized Willis for a “tremendous error in judgment” and for acting in an “unprofessional manner” but said he could continue the case if Wade resigned.
He reasoned that not enough evidence had been shown to establish that her romantic relationship with Wade amounted to an “actual conflict of interest.”
Trump’s lawyers criticized the decision to allow Willis to pursue the case and said they would pursue “all legal options” in response.
At a rally in Greensboro, North Carolina, earlier this month, Trump attacked Wade by taking advantage of his lack of experience prosecuting crimes in Atlanta before he was tapped to lead the election interference case, saying he had “never done that before.”
“But he did something else before that he did with Fani, he did a lot of that,” Trump added, referring to his romantic relationships.
“I guess that’s what he’s good at,” Trump said as the crowd laughed.
A close ally of the penultimate president, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, also continues to try to disqualify Willis.
In a post Thursday, Greene wrote, “I am filing a complaint to disbar Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis for her corrupt actions.”
He added that Willis “should have been removed from her political pursuit of President Trump after it was revealed that she went on a lavish vacation with her lover Nathan Wade.”
Anyone may file a written complaint against an attorney practicing in the state with the bar. However, the early stages of any investigation are completely confidential.