A key prosecutor in Atlanta District Attorney Fani Willis‘ criminal election interference case against former President Donald Trump reportedly acknowledged forming a “personal relationship” with her since joining her team.
However, both Nathan Wade, the prosecutor, and Willis refuted any suggestion of a conflict of interest arising from this connection, reported CNBC.
Wade submitted a sworn affidavit on Friday, refuting claims of financial benefit from the romantic relationship, as suggested by one of Trump’s co-defendants, the report read.
In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump noted that Willis’ “sexual relationship” with Wade meant that the lawsuit against him is “totally discredited,” the CNBC news report noted.
In the same court filing, Willis dismissed the defendants’ claims that their relationship justifies dismissing the indictment or disqualifying them from the case, criticizing attacks on Wade as “factually inaccurate, unsupported, and malicious,” CNBC added.
Willis stated in the Fulton County Superior Court filing that she and Wade “have been professional associates and friends since 2019,” clarifying that they had “no personal relationship” in November 2021 when Wade assumed the role of special prosecutor in the case.
In her filing, the district attorney asserted that the defendants failed to provide evidence that her personal relationship with Wade, which commenced in 2022, impacted their “exercise of any prosecutorial discretion.”
Willis highlighted that Wade received a “steeply reduced hourly rate” compared to the local legal market in Atlanta, and his invoices were approved by Fulton County’s chief financial officer.
Willis urged Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee to reject a motion from Trump’s co-defendant Michael Roman, aiming to dismiss the indictment and disqualify her and Wade.
Additionally, she requested the cancellation of a hearing on the allegations, scheduled for Feb. 15, CNBC added.
Trump’s defense attorney, Steve Sadow, criticized Willis’ filing, accusing her of seeking the court to ignore alleged personal and financial misconduct.
Sadow highlighted the lack of transparency and overlooked details, including the “coincidence” of Wade filing for divorce the day after being hired by the D.A, the report read.
Trump has entered a plea of not guilty to 13 criminal charges in the Fulton County case, accusing him of attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia to President Joe Biden.
This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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