According to recent reports, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis now faces a fourth accusation from a co-defendant in her case against former President Donald Trump and his alleged interference in the 2020 election.
Co-defendant David Shafer, the Georgia GOP Chairman in 2020 and a GOP presidential elector for the state in the 2020 election, filed a motion this week claiming that Willis has been involved in a “pattern of prosecutorial and forensic misconduct.” The motion goes on to suggest that Willis and the entirety of her prosecution staff should be disqualified from the case against Trump.
According to Shafer’s filing, Willis has also demonstrated repeated “prejudicial public statements” regarding the case through interviews and public appearances. The motion also suggests that Willis’ statements sought to “inject and infect the jury pool,” necessitating her disqualification from prosecuting Trump.
Additionally, the filing notes comments made by Willis addressing the allegations of the alleged affair between her and special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Last month, Willis spoke at the Bethel AME Church in Atlanta, where she slammed the allegations against her.
“They only attacked one. First thing they say, ‘Oh, she’s gonna play the race card now.’ But no God, isn’t it them that’s playing the race card when they only question one,” Willis said. “You cannot expect black women to be perfect and save the world,” Willis said, adding that “we need to be allowed to stumble. We need grace.”
Shafer explained in his filing that Willis’ remarks intended to obfuscate any questioning related to the alleged relationship with Wade as the product of racism. “The obvious intent of her remarks was to inject and infect the jury pool in Fulton County with unfounded allegations that anyone who dares question her or Mr. Wade’s conduct must have done so for racist purposes.”
“As an attorney and, most importantly, a public prosecutor, her comments which directly affected the pending litigation were indefensible and reprehensible. These comments constitute prosecutorial, forensic misconduct and warrant her removal and that of her Office from the prosecution of this case,” the filing added.
Shafer continued, arguing that Wade’s role in the prosecution posed a substantial conflict of interest, where he was permitted to spend Fulton County resources on extravagant vacations and other discretionary spending.
The filing further suggested Wade was hired “to investigate and prosecute the defendants and payments to Mr. Wade of over a half a million dollars from the Fulton County treasury while allowing Mr. Wade to pay for vacations for the District Attorney and other personal expenses constitutes a disqualifying conflict of interest as well as a violation of ethical rules applicable to attorneys and Fulton County employees, and potentially criminal law.”
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene recently called for an investigation into Fani Willis, filing a second ethics complaint against the Fulton County DA. “The Georgia Campaign Finance Act exists to ensure that public officials are transparent and open about their dealings, influences, and motivations. And that is exactly what Fani Willis has sought to avoid at every turn: transparency,” Greene’s complaint claims. “Georgians have a right to know who exerts undue and unfair influence over their elected officials.”
Watch Willis defend hiring Wade here:
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