Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) faces a hearing scheduled for February 15 to address allegations that she is in a romantic relationship with one of the lead prosecutors in Donald Trump's Georgia election interference case which, if found to be valid, would be a violation of ethics rules.
The hearing, which was ordered by Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, will require Willis to answer to claims that she and the prosecutor, Nathan Wade, "traveled on expensive vacations financed by the income Wade earned from his work on the case," after being brought on by Willis on a contract basis, according to Politico.
A spokesman for Willis has issued only one statement on the allegations thus far — “we will respond in court” — but The Washington Post reports that Willis opened up about the matter indirectly while speaking to the congregation of Big Bethel AME Church in Atlanta on Sunday.
“God, why would you send this imperfect and very flawed person up to that position?” Willis said in church. “God, you did not tell me my home would be swept multiple times for bombs or that most days and nights that I would spend them in isolation because that was the safest place to be. You forgot to mention, Lord, that I would have to abandon my home. You forgot to mention the loneliness of this position. And you certainly didn’t tell me about the stress.”
Suggesting that race plays a role in all of this, as the prosecutor in question is a Black man, Willis furthered, “I appointed three special counsel, which is my right to do. Paid them all the same hourly rate. They only attack one.”
The allegations against Willis came to light last week in a filing from one of Trump’s co-defendants, former campaign aide Mike Roman, who is asking for the DA and Wade to be removed from the case, and for the charges to be dismissed against Trump and 14 co-remaining defendants.
