ATLANTA, Georgia – A hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 15 to address allegations of an improper relationship and mishandling of public funds involving Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis and her lead prosecutor in Georgia. The case involves former President Donald Trump and his alleged election interference. According to court documents, Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ordered Willis to respond to the accusations, which were first raised by one of Trump’s co-defendants, former campaign aide Mike Roman. The allegations, if substantiated, could have serious implications for the investigation.
Willis has not directly addressed the explosive claims, but McAfee’s order appears to compel her to do so during televised court proceedings. The judge’s decision could prove embarrassing at the minimum and potentially derail the entire investigation at the maximum. In a recent speech before a Black church congregation in Atlanta, Willis described herself as a “flawed” and “imperfect” public servant. She hinted that the loneliness and stress of her position were not initially anticipated.
Roman’s filing called for the removal of Willis and lead prosecutor Nathan Wade from the case, as well as the dismissal of charges against Trump and the other defendants. The motion claimed that Wade’s employment was unethical because of a personal relationship with Willis and that they had profited significantly from the investigation at the taxpayers’ expense. However, the filing did not provide any evidence to support these allegations.
Prominent defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant, who represents Roman, has stated that the claims are based on undisclosed sources and records from Wade’s contentious divorce proceedings. Subpoenas for documents and witnesses related to the allegations will be served if the district attorney’s office fails to dispute them in writing. The evidence is eagerly awaited by defense attorneys pursuing the case.
The hearing scheduled for Feb. 15 will occur following a Jan. 31 hearing in Cobb County Superior Court over a motion to unseal records in Wade’s divorce case. A coalition of media organizations, including The Washington Post, has also filed a motion to unseal the records. If the subpoenaed records support the allegations of wrongdoing, they could potentially be introduced as evidence during the hearing.
It remains uncertain how the case will proceed if Willis and Wade are removed. A judge previously barred Willis’s office from investigating Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones due to a potential conflict of interest, in which case the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia was responsible for appointing a new prosecutor. For now, no one has been assigned the case.
Trump, who is subject to four separate criminal investigations, including one in Atlanta, is likely to continue criticizing Willis and Wade, labeling the prosecutions as politically motivated witch hunts. The outcome of this case is pivotal not only for the former president but also for the broader discussion of election interference and the integrity of the judicial system.