Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Friday acknowledged a personal relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade as former President Donald Trump and another co-defendant have sought to get them disqualified from the election interference case.
In a 176-page filing, Willis seemed to respond to the allegations of a personal relationship she’s had with Wade, by stating Friday that “any personal relationship among members of the prosecution team does not amount to a disqualifying conflict of interest or otherwise harm a criminal defendant.”
Willis and her office argued that the relationship hasn’t corrupted their ability to oversee the case.
“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,” it said.
The filing said that Trump co-defendant Michael Roman — who first made the allegation of a relationship between Willis and Wade to get the charges tossed — “wildly speculates” that Willis “benefitted financially from the investigation and prosecution of this criminal case, but provides no support to justify that conclusion.”
“To be absolutely clear, the personal relationship between Special Prosecutor Wade and District Attorney Willis has never involved direct or indirect financial benefit to District Attorney Willis,” it said.
The filing Friday said that the allegations raised by Roman and other motions to disqualify Willis and Wade “are salacious and garnered the media attention they were designed to obtain.” But, it shot down accusations made by Trump and a co-defendant in the case.
“District Attorney Willis has no financial conflict of interest that constitutes a legal basis for disqualification,” it said. “District Attorney Willis has no personal conflict of interest that justifies her disqualification personally or that of the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.”
It said that attacks on Wade’s qualifications “are factually inaccurate, unsupported, and malicious, in addition to providing no basis whatsoever to dismiss the indictment or disqualify” him.
Willis, it added, has also “made no public statements that warrant disqualification or judicial inquiry.”
Friday’s filing sets the stage for an upcoming Feb. 15 hearing on the allegations — where Willis may also testify — scheduled by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is presiding over the election case.
In a court filing last month seeking dismissal of charges in the case, attorneys for Trump co-defendant Michael Roman first accused Willis of engaging in an “improper, clandestine personal relationship” with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Trump has also cited the allegations of a romantic relationship in his own efforts to get his charges tossed out.
Both Roman and Trump, who faces 13 criminal counts, have pleaded not guilty in the case. Four co-defendants have pleaded guilty.
A court filing last month from Wade’s estranged wife included credit card statements that appeared to show Wade had purchased plane tickets for trips with Willis.
Wade on Tuesday reached a temporary agreement with his wife, Jocelyn Wade, in their divorce proceedings, canceling a court hearing where he had been expected to testify about the allegations.
The same day, an attorney for Roman subpoenaed Willis and Wade to testify at the Feb. 15 hearing in connection with motions to disqualify them from prosecuting the election case, according to a lawsuit that Ashleigh Merchant, Roman’s attorney, filed against Willis’ office.
Merchant’s lawsuit alleges that Willis has refused to provide many requested materials in violation of the Georgia Open Records Act. The lawsuit also claims that Willis “used taxpayer money to pay Wade, with whom she has had a romantic relationship at the time,” and as a result has received “financial benefits from such payments” including vacations, hotel stays and gifts.
Willis’ filing Friday comes as she faces intensifying scrutiny over the alleged relationship.
Last week, the Republican-led Georgia Senate approved a resolution to establish a committee to investigate Willis, and state Rep. Charlice Byrd, a Republican, introduced articles of impeachment against Willis in Georgia’s lower chamber.
Bob Ellis, a member of Fulton County’s board of commissioners, also said in a statement last month that he would pursue a “full investigation” amid the allegations.
