Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis recently addressed allegations of misconduct involving her and special prosecutor Nathan Wade in the state’s case against former President Donald Trump. Speaking at the Big Bethel AME Church before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Willis did not directly confront the accusations of an improper relationship with Wade but firmly rejected any claims of impropriety in hiring him.
The controversy arose from allegations by Mike Roman, one of Trump’s co-defendants and his former director of Election Day operations, who accused Willis and Wade of being in an “improper” romantic relationship. Roman’s lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, claimed the relationship started before the election interference case began and requested the indictment be dismissed due to its alleged impact.
Willis responded to the criticism by highlighting her appointment of three special counselors, including Wade, and questioned why only Wade was being attacked. She emphasized the qualifications and achievements of Wade, a Black man, suggesting that the allegations might have racial motivations.
Willis also addressed the scrutiny over Wade’s legal fees, amounting to nearly $654,000, paid by the district attorney’s office. In her speech, she reflected on the personal impact of these allegations, describing recent days as a low point and asserting her flawed yet committed nature to her work.
The district attorney criticized her detractors, particularly Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), for their approach and lack of personal outreach despite public criticism and threats.
Additionally, Willis was subpoenaed in Wade’s ongoing divorce case, with a hearing on Roman’s motion expected in February. Trump has seized on these allegations to call for the dismissal of his indictment in Georgia, claiming that Willis’s case against him is “totally uncompromised.”
Willis’s defense comes as she leads the charge in a high-profile case involving Trump, who faces multiple counts for his alleged efforts to overturn the election results in Georgia and a separate federal criminal case in Washington, D.C.