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☆ Trump's top prosecutor in Georgia admits to relationship with DA Fani Willis, but says they always went halfsies on travel
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

DA Fani Willis has admitted to having a personal relationship with the top prosecutor in Donald Trump's Georgia case. Willis hit back at demands to disqualify her over allegations that she had an "improper" relationship with Nathan Wade. "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," the filing read. Nathan Wade, the Georgia lawyer who admitted he had a relationship with Fulton County DA Fani Willis, addresses the judge in a recent hearing. "At times I have made and purchased travel for District Attorney Willis and myself from my personal funds."

Persons: Fani Willis, Donald Trump's, Willis, Nathan Wade, —, Donald Trump, Michael Roman, Ashleigh Merchant, Wade, Trump, Wade —, Joycelyn Wade, Attorney Willis, Fulton, Roman, Robert Cheeley, Elijah Nouvelage Wade, Scott McAfee, Merchant, Joycelyn, Nathan, Fani Willis colluded, Rich Organizations: Fulton, Service, Trump, Fulton County DA, Attorney, Merchant, REUTERS, San, Atlanta Journal, West, Trial Locations: Donald, Donald Trump's Georgia, Fulton County , Georgia, Trump, Trump's Georgia, Georgia, Napa Valley , Florida, Caribbean, Fulton County, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Miami, San Francisco, Atlanta

The House voted 95-75 along party lines for House Bill 881, sending it to the Senate for further debate. Monday's measure removes the requirement for Supreme Court approval. Trump on Thursday joined an effort by co-defendant Michael Roman to have Willis, Wade and their offices thrown off the case. Kemp has said he prefers that the prosecutor oversight panel and not the Senate committee probe any accusations of misconduct by Willis. But Democrats warn that removing the requirement for the Supreme Court to review rules could leave the commission itself without oversight.

Persons: Fani Willis ’, Donald Trump, Bill, Brian Kemp, Joseph Gullett, Willis, “, Donald J, Trump, ”, Sam Park, Nathan Wade, Michael Roman, Wade, Ashleigh Merchant, Roman, Martin Luther King Jr, Wade —, —, Kemp, Tanya Miller, aren’t, Houston Gaines Organizations: ATLANTA, —, The, Senate, Georgia Gov, Commission, Dallas Republican, Democratic, Lawrenceville Democrat, Atlanta Democrat, Republicans, Athens Republican Locations: — Georgia, Fulton County, Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco, Wade, Athens

“This has to do with following state funds,” said Republican Sen Matt Brass of Newnan. But the committee can't directly sanction Willis, and Democrats denounced it as a partisan attempt to try to play to Trump and his supporters. People can already be prosecuted for making false statements to Georgia lawmakers. Those are among the criminal charges that Rudy Giuliani and some others face for the false claims they made to Georgia lawmakers in late 2020. Most of the top supporters are Republican lawmakers who also publicly backed Trump's efforts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results, including Republican Lt. Gov.

Persons: Fani Willis, Donald Trump, ”, Republican Sen Matt Brass, Brian Kemp, Willis, “, Democratic Sen, David Lucas, Trump, Michael Roman, Nathan Wade, Ashleigh Merchant, Roman, Wade, Martin Luther King Jr, Wade —, —, Republican State Sen, Brandon Beach, Rudy Giuliani, Joe Biden, Georgia's, Burt Jones, Jones, “ I’ve, ” Jones, I’ve, ” Kemp, Josh McLaurin, ” McLaurin Organizations: ATLANTA, —, Democratic, Republican, Trump, Republican State, ”, Republicans, Democrats, Gov, New Locations: — Georgia's, Fulton County, misspent, Macon, Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco, Brandon, Alpharetta, Georgia, New Hampshire

ATLANTA (AP) — Accusations that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had an inappropriate relationship with a special prosecutor she hired to seek convictions of Donald Trump and others for interfering in Georgia's 2020 election have led to renewed calls to remove Willis from the case. Merchant alleges that Willis' office paid Wade large sums and that Willis improperly benefited when Wade then paid for the two of them to go on vacations. Willis, an elected Democrat, has shown no signs of stepping down, but there are ways she could be removed. COULD WILLIS STEP AWAY FROM THE CASE IN ORDER TO SAVE IT? Many Republicans would like to see Willis investigated by Georgia's new Prosecuting Attorneys Qualification Commission.

Persons: Fani Willis, Donald Trump, Willis, Nathan Wade, Ashleigh Merchant, Michael Roman, Merchant, Wade, Wade's, Scott McAfee, McAfee, Robert McBurney, Sen, Burt Jones, Trump, “, McBurney, Jones, Danny Porter, WILLIS, it's, Porter, Norm Eisen, Barack Obama's, ”, Eisen, Mr, hasn’t, State Sen, Colton Moore, Bob Ellis, Fulton, Greg Dolezal, Cumming, ” Dolezal's Organizations: ATLANTA, Trump, White, Fulton, Georgia Republicans, Democratic, of, Atlanta —, Council, Commission, Republicans, Republican, GOP Locations: Fulton County, Miami, San Francisco, Fulton, of Georgia, Gwinnett County, Atlanta, Georgia, State, Trenton

MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — A judge on Monday ordered court records to be made public in the divorce involving a special prosecutor hired in the election case against Donald Trump and others and accused of having an affair with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The judge said records must be unsealed in the divorce case involving Nathan Wade, whom a defense attorney has alleged is in inappropriate relationship with Willis. The judge put off a final decision on whether Willis will have to sit for questioning in the divorce case, but delayed her deposition that had been scheduled for Tuesday. Willis has defended her hiring of Wade, who has little prosecutorial experience, and has not directly denied a romantic relationship. Willis has accused Wade's estranged wife of trying to obstruct her criminal election interference case against Trump and others by seeking to question her in the couple’s divorce proceedings.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Fani Willis, Nathan Wade, Willis, Wade, Ashleigh Merchant, Michael Roman, Wade's, Joycelyn Wade, Willis “, Nathan Wade —, Joycelyn, “, ” Trump Organizations: Trump, White Locations: MARIETTA, Ga, Fulton County, San Francisco, Napa Valley , Florida, Belize, Panama, Australia, Miami, Georgia

☆ Fani Willis Affair Claims Are Nothing More Than Bad Optics: Experts
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Associated Press | Natalie Musumeci | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Allegations have surfaced of an affair between Fulton County DA Fani Willis and an attorney she hired. AdvertisementFulton County District Attorney Fani Willis hired attorney Nathan Wade to lead the Georgia prosecution of Donald Trump and 18 others over efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The lawyer is seeking to get the indictment tossed and to remove Willis and Wade from the case. Outside of any effect on this case, Willis, an elected Democrat, is up for reelection this year, and this could become a campaign issue depending on how she ultimately responds. Records show Wade billed for what he described as "travel to Athens; conf with White House Counsel" in May 2022.

Persons: Fani Willis, Nathan Wade, Willis, Donald Trump, —, Wade, Wade —, Trump, vies, it's, Rahmani, Anthony Michael Kreis, Ashleigh Merchant, Michael Roman, Merchant, unseal, Joycelyn Wade, Joycelyn, Jeff DiSantis, John Floyd, Anna Cross, Wade's, Thurbert Baker, Baker, It's, Neil Warren, foreperson, Georgia —, There's, Peter Strzok, Robert James, that's, I've, James Organizations: Service, Trump, West, Trial, Georgia State University, Associated Press, White, Caribbean, AP, Defense, White House, Records, DC Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, Napa Valley , Florida, Caribbean, Wade's, San Francisco, Belize, Panama, Australia, Miami, Cobb County, Athens, Russia, DeKalb County , Georgia

ATLANTA (AP) — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Sunday defended the qualifications of a special prosecutor she hired for her case against Donald Trump and others over efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia after a defense lawyer accused Willis of professional impropriety. At the church, Willis did not address the allegations of an improper relationship. They are paid the same hourly rate and no one has questioned the qualifications of the two white lawyers, she said. Merchant's filing offered no proof of the alleged relationship or trips that she said that Willis and Wade had taken together. Pete Skandalakis, a former district attorney who is executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council, said district attorneys do not have to seek permission before hiring a special prosecutor.

Persons: Fani Willis, Sunday, Donald Trump, Willis, Martin Luther King Jr, ”, Ashleigh Merchant, Michael Roman, Nathan Wade, Wade, Scott McAfee, Steve Sadow, King, King “, “, she's, ” Willis, “ I'm, ” Merchant, Merchant, Pete Skandalakis, McAfee Organizations: ATLANTA, Big Bethel AME Church, Trump, White, ’ Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, Big Bethel, Atlanta

☆ DA Fani Willis defends prosecutor she hired for Trump's Georgia election case amid allegations of an 'improper' relationship
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Lloyd Lee | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Fulton County DA Fani Willis was accused of having an "improper" relationship with a prosecutor. Willis appointed the prosecutor, Nathan Wade, to oversee the RICO case against Trump. The motion seeks to dismiss the indictment and disqualify Willis and Wade and their offices from further prosecuting the case. Willis said she hired three special prosecutors for the election case: a white man, a white woman, and a Black man. If Willis financially benefited from her relationship with Wade, that may be an ethics violation," he said.

Persons: Fani Willis, Willis, Nathan Wade, —, Sunday, Donald Trump, Martin Luther King Jr, Ashleigh Merchant, Michael Roman, Merchant, Wade, Fulton, Scott McAfee, Steve Sadow, King, she's, I'm, Pete Skandalakis, McAfee, Stephen Gillers, Trump Organizations: Fulton, Trump, Service, Big Bethel AME Church, White, New York Univerity Law School, Atlanta Locations: Fulton County, Georgia, Big Bethel, Atlanta, New York

☆ The strengths and weaknesses of the Georgia election meddling case against Trump and his allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Tierney Sneed | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“It’s a type of criminal liability that you can get in trouble for things that other people do,” said Ashleigh Merchant, a Georgia criminal defense attorney with experience in RICO cases. And she’ll be navigating around a federal prosecution of Trump for his 2020 election reversal schemes that has taken a much narrower approach. Here are the strengths and weaknesses of Willis’ strategy:Georgia’s sweeping RICO lawGeorgia’s version of a RICO law – which stands for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act – is broader than the federal counterpart. Additionally, there is not much appellate case law around the state’s RICO statute, criminal defense attorneys in Georgia told CNN. There stands to be a significant overlap in evidence – including with testimony from some of the same witnesses – in the federal and Georgia cases.

Persons: Donald Trump, Fani Willis –, “, ”, Ashleigh Merchant, CNN Willis, Trump, Willis, Racketeer, Sandy Wallack, that’s, Trump's, Andrew Fleischman, Willis ’, ” Fleischman, Feedback Giuliani, he's, Mark Meadows, Steve Vladeck, Scott McAfee, –, ” Merchant, Jack Smith, Jack Smith’s, Smith, Trump’s, Clark Cunningham, ” Cunningham, It’s Organizations: CNN, Trump, Trump White House, state’s, Georgia, White House, CNN Supreme, University of Texas School of Law, Appeals, Georgia State University Locations: Fulton County, Atlanta, Georgia, Coffee County

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