Georgia’s governor described to The Post on Friday allegations of misconduct by the district attorney prosecuting Trump’s election interference cases in the state as “deeply troubling.”
A spokesman for Gov. Brian Kemp also indicated that Fulton County Prosecutor Fani Willis could face a special commission investigation for her alleged “improper” relationship with Nathan Wade, whom she named special prosecutor in the case.
“These allegations are deeply disturbing and the evidence must be presented quickly so that [presiding] “Judge McAfee will rule and the public will have confidence in this trial moving forward,” the governor’s office said in a statement to The Post.
The co-prosecutors were first accused of having a “clandestine” relationship in a motion filed Monday by Michael Roman, one of Donald Trump’s 18 co-defendants in the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act investigation ( RICO) by Willis.
Fani Willis has yet to publicly comment on the allegations. AP
Roman’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, accused Willis and Wade of having “violated laws regulating the use of public money, suffered irreparable conflicts of interest, and violated their oaths of office under the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct and should be disqualified to process this.” affair.”
The court filing alleges that Wade paid for lavish vacations with Willis in Florida, the Napa Valley and the Caribbean, using legal fees paid to him by the Fulton County prosecutor’s office. Those claims have not been proven.
Last year, Kemp signed a new bill for a statewide Prosecutorial Qualifications Commission (PAQC) with the power to investigate complaints against district attorneys and remove them if they have sufficient cause. The law outlines a number of offenses for which a prosecutor can be removed, including “misconduct in office.”
Willis (center) and Wade (right) are accused of misconduct for having an “inappropriate” relationship. fake images
“Georgians should be able to have confidence in this judgment and the Georgia General Assembly established a specific process to investigate matters like these,” the governor’s office wrote in a statement to the Post.
“The PAQC has the authority to investigate alleged misconduct by district attorneys and attorneys general and to discipline, remove, or cause the involuntary retirement of those who meet the conditions for removal.”
Kemp’s spokesperson told The Post that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene “has the right” to refer the matter to the committee because she filed a criminal complaint against Willis earlier this week.
In the complaint filed Wednesday, Greene (R-Ga.) requested an investigation by the Fulton County District Attorney into her alleged “secret boyfriend” Nathan Wade, the prosecutor representing her office in the former president’s case.
However, the commissioners’ term will not formally begin until July 2024, and only then will it be ready to receive complaints.
Willis remained largely out of public view Friday. Wade appeared briefly in court, but indicated that his work would be handled by his colleagues.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has been urged to launch a criminal investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Wilis over allegations that she had an “improper” relationship with Wade. AP
Harvey Silverglate, a criminal defense and civil liberties attorney who represents former Trump lawyer John Eastman in the RICO matter, said his client and co-defendants no longer felt confident that they were being prosecuted by someone without “an ax to work.”
“It is very difficult when she [Willis] “He has an intimate relationship with the person in charge of trying the case,” he told The Post.
He also described Wade’s original appointment to the special prosecutor position as a shock given his lack of experience.
“This is a very difficult case to judge and the fact that this is someone with no experience is mind-boggling,” he said.
According to Silverglate, the ideal outcome for his client would be for the State Attorney General to appoint a special prosecutor to take charge of the case.
Donald Trump Giuliani and 17 others pleaded not guilty in August to all charges in a sweeping racketeering indictment over alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia.POOL/AFP via Getty Images
“The independence and independent judgment of the prosecutor are questioned. And of course, that also affects public trust because it is important not only that justice is done but that the public sees that justice is done,” he added.
“So it’s a huge problem in this whole thing.”
In asking for the case to be dismissed earlier this week, Roman’s attorneys made several accusations about Willis and Wade.
His legal team wrote in the motion that Willis had failed to properly obtain approval from the Fulton County Commission before hiring Wade as special prosecutor.
But Pete Skandalakis, a Republican who heads the Georgia District Attorney’s Council, said the state’s district attorneys were not required to seek approval from county commissions before making such hires, The New York Times reported.
Roman’s lawyers also alleged that Willis had a conflict of interest that broke his oath. Additionally, they accused both Willis and Wade of violating the county’s “Code of Laws” and “Rules of Professional Conduct Concerning Conflicts of Interest.”
Meanwhile, Willis, who sources told The Post has been working with Wade since at least 2019, fawned over him and described him as a “personal mentor” and “significant person” in an interview unearthed with South Atlanta magazine. Magazine from January 2021.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn