Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said Sunday that racism was the motive behind her alleged inappropriate relationship with a special counsel her office paid to help prosecute former President Donald Trump. he accused.
Mr. Willis' office hired Nathan Wade, a private attorney who has played a key role as special counsel in the extortion case against Mr. Trump and his associates in the wake of the 2020 election. He allegedly used funds he received from Fulton County to cover up the incident. The cost of a luxury trip with Willis, according to in response to a court motion filed last week by attorneys for President Trump's co-defendant Michael Roman. In her first public statement, she addressed the allegations in Big Bethel AME ChurchWillis suggested that the allegations regarding her and Wade were primarily a product of racial animosity.
“It's a little confusing. I appointed three special prosecutors and paid them all the same hourly rate, as per my right. There's only one to attack,” Willis said of Wade. He mentioned it, but did not name it explicitly. “I hired a white woman who was a good personal friend and a great lawyer and a superstar. I hired a white man who was a friend and a great lawyer. We hired a black man, another superstar, a great friend, a great lawyer…the first thing they say is, “Oh, her.'' [is going to] Play the race card now. But no, God, he only asks one question, and aren't they the ones who are running the race card?” (Related: Fulton County Trump prosecutor's wife claims he withdrew money from account and left her in 'dire situation')
Willis appeared to defend the hiring of special counsel Nathan Wade.
Without mentioning Wade by name, Willis said he hired three special prosecutors to handle the case and “paid them all the same hourly rate.”
But critics only attack black men, she says. pic.twitter.com/XJQtrnqfbL
— Anna Bower (@AnnaBower) January 14, 2024
Fulton County has paid Wade approximately $654,000 in fees since January 2022. according to In county records reviewed by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. According to the complaint filed Monday, Wade allegedly used the money to pay for trips with Willis to Napa Valley, the Caribbean, Florida and other places.
Willis and Wade “entered into an inappropriate and confidential personal relationship during the pendency of this case that resulted in the special prosecutor, and by extension the district attorney, profiting significantly from this prosecution at the expense of taxpayers.” ,” the motion alleges.
Notably, the application provides no conclusive proof that Willis and Wade were in a romantic relationship or any concrete evidence of the alleged conduct, such as a receipt for a travel ticket. However, “people close to both the special prosecutor and the district attorney acknowledged that the two had an ongoing personal relationship.”
Some legal analysts have suggested that if the allegations prove true, they could seriously hamper Mr. Willis' ability to prosecute Mr. Trump and his associates. The text of the motion states that Willis and Wade's actions may amount to fraud and, if proven, could be prosecuted under federal racketeering laws.
Wade also met with the White House Counsel's Office in May 2022 and November 2022 before being indicted in the Georgia extortion case in August 2023. As of Friday, Mr. Wade is also the subject of an investigation by the House Judiciary Committee.
Representatives for Willis and Fulton counties did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
All content produced by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan news distribution service, is available free of charge to legitimate news publishers with large audiences. All republished articles must include our logo, reporter byline, and DCNF affiliation. If you have any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact us at licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
