In a twist of events that could rival a Netflix drama, reactions from Georgia lawmakers poured in on Friday after a judge ruled that embattled Fulton County DA Fani Willis could remain on the case investigating alleged election interference by former President Donald Trump – as long as she fired her special counsel Nathan Wade.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee issued a ruling Friday that Willis, who was accused of an improper romantic relationship that she attempted to cover up with Wade, could stay on the case if she gave Wade the boot. This prompted some Georgia Republicans to speak out.
St. Patrick's Day came early for Fani Willis after a judge ruled that she could stay on the Trump case, despite her improprieties with Lover Boy. But Fani's luck could run out soon as the Georgia Senate begins investigating her office and the thousands of sweet nothings she… pic.twitter.com/13znwAro5W
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) March 16, 2024
Georgia Republican Lt. Gov Burt Jones added, “Judge McAfee clearly found significant impropriety between Fani Willis and Nathan Wade. If Fani Willis acted in the best interest of her constituents, she would resign immediately, but we know her inflated sense of self won’t allow that to happen. Regardless, the Georgia Senate investigatory committee will continue its work on behalf of the Georgia taxpayer to hold her accountable.”
Georgia Republican State Senator Jason Anavitarte didn’t mince words either, stating, “It is indisputable that Willis willfully concealed her relationship with Wade.”
“Rather than owning up to the relationship, admitting poor judgment, and removing SADA Wade from this case as soon as it was revealed, DA Willis doubled down and spent the better part of 3 months continuing to obfuscate if not downright lie to the court,” Anavitarte continued.
“Judge McAfee openly acknowledged that there is an ‘odor of mendacity’ and ‘reasonable questions about whether the DA and…SADA testified untruthfully.’ Despite all this, Judge McAfee chose to offer DA Willis an escape hatch that should have been voluntarily activated as soon as the relationship was uncovered, firing Nathan Wade,” he said. “To me, that is wholly insufficient. Prosecutors should be held to the highest ethical standard. Clearly Judge McAfee failed in this account.”
Georgia Republican State Sen. Bill Cowsert, who is leading a special Georgia Senate committee probe on Willis, told Fox News Anchor Martha MacCallum on Friday afternoon that he is “not surprised” by the judge’s move but agreed that Willis would be best served to recuse herself from the case.
“I feel confident that’s what she’ll do,” Cowsert said. “There’s just no way a jury will give any credibility to her further involvement, it will undermine her own mission of prosecuting these individuals if she stays personally involved. It’s just been a series of really poor choices.”
Some Democrats have backed Judge McAfee’s decision, including Georgia State Sen. Derek Mallow, who told Fox News Digital that the judge “clearly exercised jurisprudence” by reviewing the case and finding the “best process to move forward” to “remove any presence of impropriety in this case.”
“I think that is a good direction to head into, as this case does have merits and it needs to go before a jury,” Mallow explained. “And I think that the judge has done his due diligence in his ruling. That’s why you have judges, to make those type of rulings. I still fundamentally believe my role and opinion in all of this is that there’s a separation between the judicial and the legislative branches.”
“Of course, I support the judge’s ruling for the case to move forward. I hope that the district attorney will make the needed separation there so that the case can move forward, and that the evidence and facts will come out, and a jury, the peers of all those involved, will make a determination and find guilt or innocence.”
McAfee said in his ruling that the defendants “failed to meet their burden of proving that the District Attorney acquired an actual conflict of interest in this case through her personal relationship and recurring travels with her lead prosecutor.”
“However, the established record now highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team – an appearance that must be removed through the State’s selection of one of two options,” he wrote, adding that Willis and her whole office can choose to step aside, or Wade can withdraw from the case.
In a stunning turn of events, Wade announced on Friday afternoon that he is stepping down from the case in the interest of “democracy.”
