District attorney defends the qualifications of a prosecutor hired in Trump’s Georgia election case
ATLANTA — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on Sunday defended the qualifications of a special prosecutor she hired for her case against Donald Trump and others over efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia after a defense lawyer accused Willis of professional impropriety.
In her first public remarks since the accusation was made in a court filing, Willis offered a vigorous defense of her leadership of the office and pushed back against critics. She was received warmly by the congregation of Big Bethel AME Church as she spoke at a service a day before the holiday honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Willis thanked leaders of the historically Black church in Atlanta who “didn’t care what they said about me” and told her “the invite was still good” to speak.
“I hope for y’all this week I don’t look like what I’ve been through,” she said.
The allegations were in a motion filed last week by Ashleigh Merchant, who represents Michael Roman, a former Trump campaign staffer and onetime White House aide.
The filing alleges that Willis was involved in an improper romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the outside lawyer she hired, and questions Wade’s qualifications for the job.
The motion seeks to have the indictment dismissed and to disqualify Willis and Wade and their offices from further prosecuting the case.
At the church, Willis did not address the allegations of an improper relationship. She did not speak to reporters after the service.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee said during a hearing Friday that he is awaiting a response from the district attorney’s office and expects to set a hearing on the motion in February. Other defense attorneys in the case, including Trump attorney Steve Sadow, have said they want to look into the allegations before deciding whether they want to join the motion.
