To continue Trump Georgia case, District attorney must remove prosecutor or step aside
A judge has ruled that a court case against Donald Trump in Georgia cannot proceed unless the district attorney steps aside or removes a special prosecutor with whom she had a relationship.
The case involves Mr. Trump and 18 others accused of trying to overturn the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election in Georgia.
District Attorney Fani Willis, who is in charge of the case, was in a relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Ms. Willis argued that the relationship began in early 2022, months after she appointed Mr. Wade to the prosecution in November 2021.
The judge found that the romantic relationship between Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade created an appearance of impropriety and that either Ms. Willis or Mr. Wade must leave the case.
If Ms. Willis steps aside, the case will come to a halt, but if Mr. Wade leaves, the case can continue without further delay.
Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade admitted to being in a romantic relationship, which reportedly ended last summer. The defense argued that the financial arrangements between them could create an incentive to prolong the case.
Donald Trump during a campaign rally earlier this month. Pic: Reuters/Alyssa Pointer
The judge stated that an outsider could believe that Ms. Willis is not able to exercise her professional judgment independently as long as Mr. Wade remains on the team. However, the judge found no evidence that the defendants’ rights were violated or prejudiced in any way.
He also mentioned that disqualifying a constitutional officer like a district attorney is not necessary when other remedial options are available.
Mr. Trump’s lead lawyer, Steve Sadow, stated that they still believe there is a conflict of interest and that they will pursue all legal options available in the case.
Mr. Trump is facing four criminal prosecutions, including the one in Georgia, as he secured the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic President Joe Biden in the upcoming election.
He has characterized the prosecution against him as politically motivated and has accused those pursuing him of misconduct. Additionally, he faces federal charges related to his efforts to overturn his election defeat and is set to stand trial in New York later this month for charges related to hush money paid to a porn star.
