As I long expected (and opined on this blog previously), Judge Scott McAfee has ruled that Atlanta District Attorney Fani Willis can continue prosecuting Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his cronies so long as Nathan Wade, her former romantic partner and co-counsel in this high profile case, withdraws from the matter.
DA Fani Willis
Judge McAfee strongly criticized DA Willis for "the appearance of impropriety" in her personal relationship with Mr. Wade, but he also made the correct call by concluding that there was no actual conflict of interest that warranted the case being removed from her jurisdiction.
DA Willis and her ex romantic partner, Attorney Wade, earlier in the Trump case…
As I've written before, of the four criminal cases that Mr. Trump is facing, this particular one is arguably the easiest to prosecute due to the president's ill advised (and foolish) phone call with Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in December of 2020—the one in which he urged Georgia officials "to find the votes" that would overturn Joe Biden's lawful victory in the state.
Now, with this Georgia election RICO case probably being delayed until after the election this coming November, Trump may (or may not) ever be held accountable all because of the sideshow that emerged when defense lawyers brought the Willis-Wade relationship to light; the delay, in a way, is a defense victory—even if temporary—not due to the legal merits of Trump being innocent, but because a personal relationship muddied the waters in Ms. Willis's office and threw the trial date into limbo. And, if I had to wager a guess, I suspect that Attorney Wade will withdraw as counsel within the next several days so that the prosecutorial train can get back on schedule.
Stay tuned...
As the old adage states, “Don’t get your honey where you make your money.”
Can she communicate with him at all? Also, does she have to get a new prosecutor and bring him/her up to speed? 🤔