Story highlights
Willis not planning to step down from Trump election interference case in Georgia
Feb. 2 deadline to respond to allegations of improper romantic relationship with prosecutor
Wade’s contentious divorce dispute temporarily settled
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has no plans to step down from the Georgia election subversion case over allegations she’s having an affair with her lead prosecutor, a decision driven in part over concern that her departure would effectively end the case against Donald Trump and his multiple defendants, sources familiar with the thinking inside the DA’s office told CNN.
The sprawling racketeering case still has no trial date, and Willis and her team are keenly aware that the window to go to trial before the 2024 election is rapidly shrinking. Any change in the team handling the prosecution would likely delay the proceedings, and it’s unclear if another prosecutor in Georgia would even be inclined to take up the case, given its political and legal challenges.
Willis has faced immense public scrutiny since allegations first surfaced that she has benefitted financially from a romantic relationship with lead prosecutor Nathan Wade. Despite calls by some legal experts to recuse herself from the case to protect its integrity, she is not expected to do so, the sources told CNN.
Instead, Willis is preparing to counter arguments from Trump and other co-defendants, not by necessarily disputing claims about the relationship but by arguing that defense attorneys seeking to remove her are wrong on the law, sources said.
Despite her relative public silence since the allegations surfaced, Willis has been personally involved in crafting her office’s formal response, according to a source familiar with her role.
Willis has…
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