Judge sets hearing for misconduct claims against prosecutor leading Ga. Trump case

ATLANTA — Extraordinary but so far unsubstantiated allegations that the Georgia prosecutor overseeing a criminal case against former President Donald Trump and others violated federal law will get their day in court.

A Thursday order from Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee sets a Feb. 15 hearing for a motion filed by former Trump campaign official Mike Roman, alleging Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had an improper relationship with the case's lead prosecutor, Nathan Wade.

Roman, Trump and 17 others have been charged by the DA's office for various efforts to subvert Georgia's 2020 election results. Roman, Trump and most of the other defendants have pleaded not guilty.

Roman's attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, filed a motion Jan. 8 seeking to dismiss the charges against him and disqualify Willis and the DA's office from any further involvement with the case.

The filing claims that Willis is in a romantic relationship with Wade, and is receiving financial benefits from his employment and the investigation of Trump and his allies, but does not include corroborating evidence.

Wade, who has been paid more than $600,000 since 2021 for his work on the sweeping racketeering indictment, filed for divorce shortly after joining the team in 2021. Roman's 127-page filing claims Wade's divorce documents, which are currently under seal, could provide more evidence about the alleged relationship.

Willis and her office have yet to file a response to the motion, which makes the extraordinary claim that Willis and Wade violated the same racketeering act used to charge Roman and the other defendants in the election interference case. The judge's order gives the DA's office until Feb. 2 to file a response.

On Sunday,