Could Allegations Against DA Fani Willis Derail The Case Against Trump In Georgia?

Allegations against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who is leading the prosecution of Donald Trump in Atlanta, seem unlikely to wholly derail the attempt in Georgia to hold the former president accountable for his attempt to overturn the 2020 election but have handed him additional grist for his grievance-based politics and could certainly delay the trial until after the 2024 election.

In a court filing Monday, a lawyer for former Trump campaign staffer and co-defendant Mike Roman alleged that Willis had engaged in an inappropriate “personal, romantic relationship” with the special prosecutor she hired for the case in what amounted to a conflict of interest worthy of disqualification.

The filing urging the court to dismiss the charges against Roman and disqualify Willis from prosecuting the case alleges that the district attorney and special prosecutor Nathan Wade were engaged in a “romantic relationship” prior to her bringing him on to the case. It further argues that Wade, whose firm handles car accidents and family law disputes, is under-qualified for the position for which he has already claimed at least $654,000 in legal fees.

To justify seeking Willis’ disqualification, the filing alleges that Wade took Willis on vacations, presumably with money he earned from the position, creating a conflict of interest.

“[T]he district attorney and the special prosecutor have been engaged in an improper, clandestine personal relationship during the pendency of this case, which has resulted in the special prosecutor, and, in turn, the district attorney, profiting significantly from this prosecution at the expense of the taxpayers,” states the filing submitted by Roman’s lawyer Ashleigh Merchant.

The allegations are