A Fulton County judge ruled Friday that District Attorney Fani Willis and her whole office can either step aside or the special prosecutor who was involved in a romantic relationship with Willis can withdraw from the case.
“The Court therefore concludes that the prosecution of this case cannot proceed until the State selects one of two options,” Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee wrote in his highly anticipated ruling Friday morning.
“The District Attorney may choose to step aside, along with the whole of her office, and refer the prosecution to the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council for reassignment … Alternatively, SADA (Nathan) Wade can withdraw, allowing the District Attorney, the Defendants, and the public to move forward without his presence or remuneration distracting from and potentially compromising the merits of this case.”
Defense attorneys had claimed Willis gave her boyfriend Wade a lucrative contract funded by taxpayers to be the lead prosecutor in the election case. Wade spent thousands of dollars on the couple’s travel to take vacations together on cruises out of the country, weekend trips out of state and other expenses, according to credit card receipts that fueled a dramatic twist in the court case against Trump and his allies.
Willis and Wade testified at a hearing on Feb. 15 that their romantic relationship began several months after he was hired for the case and ended last summer. Willis testified under oath at an earlier hearing she paid for her share of travel costs in cash.
Wade has been paid $700,000 since being appointed as special prosecutor in November 2021.
In August, a grand jury levied felony charges against Trump and 18 other allies on accusations that they illegally conspired to overturn Georgia’s 2020 presidential election. The former president as well as the remaining 14 co-defendants have pleaded not guilty, while four of the initial co-defendants have accepted plea…
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