Fani Willis Admits Relationship, Will Not Leave Case

DA overseeing case against Trump says her relationship with lead attorney doesn't affect it
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 2, 2024 12:45 PM CST
Fani Willis Admits Relationship, Will Not Leave Case
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.   (Dennis Byron/Hip Hop Enquirer via AP, File)

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has for the first time directly addressed the ongoing controversy related to her prosecution of Donald Trump and to her personal life, and she made two key points: Yes, she's in a "personal relationship" with the lead attorney she appointed, and no, she's not leaving the Georgia case.

  • In a court filing, Willis said her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade had no bearing on the case and called demands from Trump and co-co-defendants that she be removed from it "meritless" and "salacious," reports the Washington Post. The filing marked the first time Willis had acknowledged her relationship with 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," said the filing, per USA Today.
  • The controversy surfaced last month when Trump co-defendant Michael Roman alleged that Willis was benefiting financially from the election-interference case because Wade's law firm had been hundreds of thousands of dollars, and he had used some of that money for vacation getaways with Willis. Roman demanded Willis be removed from the case, calling it a conflict of interest, and Trump soon echoed the demand. They also want the charges dismissed.
  • "While the allegations raised in the various motions are salacious and garnered the media attention they were designed to obtain, none provide this Court with any basis upon which to order the relief they seek," said Willis' filing, per the New York Times.
  • Separately, the House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Willis in regard to allegations that she fired a whistleblower who called out improper spending from a federal grant, reports NBC News. Panel Chairman Jim Jordan, a Trump ally, also has accused Willis of an abuse of power in the election investigation.
  • An evidentiary earing in Fulton County Superior court on the allegations is set for Feb. 15.
(More Fani Willis stories.)

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