A Georgia legal ethics expert called on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to “stand aside” to preserve the case against former President Donald Trump in an op-ed in Wednesday's New York Times. .
A lawyer for former Trump campaign aide Michael Roman alleges on January 8 that Willis, who hired Nathan Wade as special counsel to help investigate and prosecute the former president, had a romantic relationship with him. A motion was filed.Georgia State University law professor Clark D. Cunningham warned in the NYT Editorial He said the impact on the case could be significant if Mr Willis is disqualified. (Related article: 'She's had her hands full': Trump lawyer accuses Fani Willis of 'corruption' and 'election interference')
“I believe the prudent and far-sighted course is for Mr. Willis to take a personal leave of absence and hand over leadership of the district attorney's office and the case against Mr. Trump to a career deputy district attorney,” Cunningham wrote. . “Doing so was an act of public service by Mr. Willis and, more importantly, provides the best option for getting the criminal case back on track and holding Mr. Trump and his co-defendants accountable for their actions in the 2020 election.” That's the right result. ”
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis attends a press conference at the Fulton County Courthouse on August 14, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. A grand jury today handed up an indictment naming former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies for allegedly trying to overturn the state's 2020 election results. (Photo by Joe Radle/Getty Images)
In August, Willis secured indictments against Trump and other defendants, including Roman, over the former president's efforts to contest the results of the 2020 Georgia election won by Joe Biden. . Less than 12,000 votes.
Mr. Cunningham cited Mr. Willis' disqualification in the investigation into Georgia's Republican lieutenant governor, Bert Jones, as an example of that interest.
“If Mr. Willis and Mr. Wade are removed by Judge McAfee, it will be up to the Georgia Prosecuting Attorneys Council, a state agency, to appoint a prosecutor to replace Mr. Willis,” Cunningham wrote. . “And that's where things can really go off the rails. Let me give you one example: On July 25, 2022, Mr. Willis, his final opponent in the lieutenant governor's race, Jones. He was disqualified from prosecuting then-state Sen. Bert Jones because he hosted a fundraiser on his behalf. Eighteen months later, PACGA still has not appointed a special prosecutor and currently has no deputy. Mr. Jones, the governor, has not even been indicted.”
“If Mr. Willis is disqualified, a delay is not even the worst outcome for the case,” Cunningham continued. “The special counsel could decide to reduce or dismiss charges against some or all of the defendants, including Mr. Trump.”
In a speech at Big Bethel AME Church on January 14, Willis accused his critics of “running the race” while falsely claiming he had paid the same amount to outside prosecutors. .
Willis did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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