Fulton County DA Fani Willis speaks for the 1st time after allegations of Special Prosecutor affair

[pnwmom]

Last edited Sun Jan 14, 2024, 06:03 PM - Edit history (6)

Source: WSB-TV2, Atlanta

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. -- Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis jumped right into the fray Sunday morning, addressing implications of an "improper relationship" with a special prosecutor that she appointed to help with the indictment case against former President Donald Trump.

Speaking from the pulpit at Big Bethel Baptist Church in downtown Atlanta, Willis referenced what she believes to be a double standard by those accusing her of giving Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade preferential treatment and pay while working for her.

Willis did not use Wade's name as she launched into the speech, only telling audience members at the historical church that the special prosecutor she hired was the same person hired in a different county to do a similar job at a much higher pay rate. She spoke glowingly about the credentials of everyone on her team and the importance of their jobs.

Willis also did not mention the allegations and motions by an attorney for Michael Roman, one of the 19 people indicted by a Grand Jury under the state's RICO laws for interfering in the 2020 Presidential election.



Read more: https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/fulton-county-da-fani-willis-speaks-1st-time-after-allegations-special-prosecutor-affair/M5I2434Q6ZF33OXGBPMPQM3UUY/

---

And here's a piece from ABC.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis spoke at a church in Atlanta Sunday morning where she gave emotional and passionate remarks that appeared to acknowledge for the first time the affair allegations leveled against her last week, while also defending the special prosecutor she brought in for the election interference case against Donald Trump.

"I hope for y'all this week I don't look like what I've been through," she joked as she spoke Sunday at the Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church during a service to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

SNIP

Willis also said she was "a little confused" why so many questioned the decision to bring in multiple special prosecutors to the case, and though she never mentioned Wade by name, she called him a "great friend" who was paid equally to others while extensively defending his "impeccable credentials" for the job -- suggesting the attacks on him were motivated by race.

"I appointed three special counselors. It's my right to do. Paid them all the same hourly rate," Willis said. "They only attack one. I hired one white woman: a good personal friend and great lawyer, a superstar, I tell you. I hired one white man: brilliant, my friend, and a great lawyer. And I hired one Black man, another superstar, a great friend, and a great lawyer."

https://abcnews.go.com/US/fulton-county-da-fani-willis-defends-special-prosecutor/story?id106367044

[AllaN01Bear]

1. a setup?

[Hekate]

60. Ya think? "Get me some dirt on Joe Biden & I'll help you with your war, Prez Zelensky"

[JohnSJ]

2. The only pertinent question is would any be, how does a personal relationship not related to

to a case, affect that case?

[brush]

3. The trump side is just throwing everything against the wall hoping something sticks.

They desperate and this is not much of a case as the attorney in question has credentials, experience and work history at a much higher rate on other cases in another country...as DA Willis mentioned.

They're trying to smear her name with innuendo of impropriety. It won't work.

[oldsoftie]

10. Delay til after the election. All day every day. Whatever works.

[LymphocyteLover]

23. Yes, it's a typical BS Trumpian distraction

[Ponietz]

4. Many married teams in the legal arena

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

27. And some of them have even worked for

The orange-tufted traitor tit. Like, oh, Marty & Jane Raskin:

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/meet-husband-wife-duo-joining-trump-legal-team/story?id=54612170

Or the notorious noxious nitwits, Joseph diGenova and Victoria Toensing:

https://www.businessinsider.com/victoria-toensing-joseph-digenova-rudy-giuliani-allies-fbi-investigation-2021-5

[Hekate]

59. 🔥The only pertinent question is who is doing the accusing? Remember how we lost Al Franken.

[MOMFUDSKI]

5. Did the affair start after she started to case?

If yes, she really messed up. That is all.

[pnwmom]

7. What difference does that make? They're on the same team.

They're both two consenting adults representing the prosecution team, not the defense. Where is the conflict?

[Jarqui]

8. I would have thought the opposite

If the affair had started before, she could be accused of hiring her boyfriend to cash in and not disclosing it

If the affair started after, it is hard to make the above case. The allegation then might be she hired him to get her hands on him which would be tough to prove.

Maybe I'm missing something.

[ShazzieB]

20. Is/was there really an actual affair?

I've been assuming the opposite, that it's all a madeup lie. Did I miss something?

[pnwmom]

26. The fact that they haven't denied it to this point makes it appear so. However,

that should be irrelevant. It doesn't change anything about the depositions, the texts and emails, and all the other evidence they have collected against Roman and the other defendants.

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

30. Oh FFS

The personal relationships of Ms Willis have bloody bugger all to do with anything related to this case. He's a qualified attorney, which is all that matters.

Beyond that, sniffy curtain-twitching about people's personal lives doesn't mean bollocks.

[Warpy]

6. My own response would have been "Oh yeah? Prove it."

Talk's cheap and gossip is worthless and paid liars get fined and sued.

Willis is a smart woman but she's not handling this right.

Any time a smart woman becomes troublesome for some rich and powerful man, she gets called a whore. Time to call them on it.

[brush]

28. The attorney in question has legitimate credentials and has been hired....

at even higher rates on other cases by other counties. If there is an affair, and that's not evident, they're both consenting adults.

What's the problem?

It's obviously shit-stirring by the trump team.

[MOMFUDSKI]

33. I understood that his wife subpoenaed Fani

after divorce proceedings were started. Will need a timeframe.

[brush]

35. So? Affairs happen. What does it have to do with the case, if there is one?

[Kennah]

49. Or is the wife using this for leverage, knowing there's no there there?

[rockfordfile]

72. Trust

[Warpy]

34. Exactly how I see it, but I'd want to see their proof, first

because chances are it's just another blog somewhere out in the nut-o-sphere and said attorney will bluster and then curl up like an old, cold pork chop and go away, embarrassment avoided.

And people are embarrassed about sex, probably all that sex phobic Christian conditioning. I wish she;d take a page from Stormy Daniels, "Yes, didn't last long, but I enjoyed the hell out of it, so what?"

Bezos earned my respect when he told a blackmailer to go ahead and release his hacked pictures, then go to hell. The pictures were released, there wasn't much "there" there, and it was over in less than a week. Good man, at least that once.

[oldsoftie]

9. The legal question is if he or she benefits from the outcome of the case

Not if they are dating . Although it is NOT a good look at all

[pnwmom]

11. How many male prosecutors have you heard of being accused by defendants in similar circumstances?

It's not like anyone believes male prosecutors haven't ever been close to females they worked with.

[Jarqui]

12. The part that concerns me is there wasn't a flat out denial

https://abcnews.go.com/US/fulton-county-da-fani-willis-defends-special-prosecutor/story?id=106367044

During her remarks Sunday, which were livestreamed, Willis repeatedly referred to herself as "flawed" and "imperfect."

and then she hints at some potential racial bias

"I appointed three special counselors. It's my right to do. Paid them all the same hourly rate," Willis said. "They only attack one. I hired one white woman: a good personal friend and great lawyer, a superstar, I tell you. I hired one white man: brilliant, my friend, and a great lawyer. And I hired one Black man, another superstar, a great friend, and a great lawyer."

But they didn't allege she was having an affair with a white woman prosecutor or white man prosecutor.
So racial bias doesn't resonate. They appear to have evidence of trips together, etc which they don't with the other two.

I'm not clear why this would not be the obvious thing to do if Willis never had a romantic relationship as alleged:

Willis never denied or directly addressed the allegations she and Wade had an inappropriate relationship.

Combine that with "flawed" and "imperfect." above and I'm a little uneasy.
Fani knows how to handle the media but she was unable to do that here.
So I'm concerned.

[Raven123]

13. What an unnecessary distraction.

Sounds like there is some truth to the allegation. I just don’t get it.

[pnwmom]

17. What does it have to do with the defendants guilt or innocence? Nothing.

You don't really think lawyers working closely together never get involved, do you? But no one's ever imagined it would be a reason to toss out charges against a defendant before.

[Raven123]

21. As I said. Unnecessary distraction

[pnwmom]

15. Why does she need to deny it? He'd earned a much higher hourly rate working for a Republican led county,

and he's making the same hourly rate as the white woman doing the same job, and somewhat more than a white man doing the job.

Do you really think no WHITE lawyers have ever fooled around with other lawyers on their team? What defendent has ever tried to get their charges thrown out on the basis that their two of their WHITE prosecutors had a relationship? That's why this feels racial.

This is an issue for Human Resources, maybe, but it doesn't involve the defendant.

[Jarqui]

19. One would deny it to muzzle the media chatter some

The fact that she didn't deny it leaves the allegation open to speculation that it has some merit

It takes some of the eyes off what the criminals did and directs those eyes to look at what she did with one of the prosecutors which may have some ethical concerns or might even jeopardize the case.

[pnwmom]

24. They probably are involved. But the idea that that affects the case has no merit.

When have you ever heard of a case being tossed out of court because a couple of lawyers on the prosecution team had an affair? (assuming that's the case.)

The jury is looking at EVIDENCE against Trump and his conspirators, and the evidence isn't changed by this.

[Jarqui]

29. To you and me, it probably has no merit

Though I'm going to wait until we have more facts before locking in on that.

Jordan, Comer and/or House Judiciary will probably come after her ... again.
The GOP will 'Hunter Biden' her
They will dirty up her case.
Right or wrong, there will be consequences.
I'm sure Republicans are rummaging through laws & case law trying to find something .. or get her yanked off the case

[pnwmom]

36. These are the same people who last summer claimed that Fani was having an affair

with a drug dealer.

That claim failed to get any traction, so now they're going after her and Wade.

When have you ever heard of a white male prosecutor whose sex life was used as a pretext for dropping a case?

[Jarqui]

38. This one came close ..

https://www.michiganradio.org/news/2021-06-10/sex-crimes-prosecutor-gets-plea-deal-after-inappropriate-relationship-with-rape-victim

[dpibel]

42. Not remotely analogous n/t

[Jarqui]

46. Your question was this:

"When have you ever heard of a white male prosecutor whose sex life was used as a pretext for dropping a case?"

It was a pretext to letting a convicted man out of jail immediately and lowering his conviction due to the 'sex life' of the prosecutor related to the case (having had sex several times with the victim in the case).

It is premature to presume Fani has not damaged or jeopardized her case if she had a fling with a prosecutor she hired to help her in that case and paid him tens/hundreds of thousands of dollars for his help that helped pay for vacations with him..

Independent counsel Ken Starr was looking into all kinds of things related to the Clintons. It wasn't very exciting and getting as much media attention. But when an intern named Monica Lewinsky came along linking to the sex life of the President, that case exploded in the media.

Don't forget: this case is likely to go before a jury. You and I don't get to decide it.

Potential Conflict of interest:
Does that hired prosecutor overlook evidence or chasing down evidence that could hurt his girlfriend's case?
When that is even a legitimate question, you have the public perception of a conflict of interest. When you didn't declare it up front, that is even worse.

I've been very impressed with Fani. I would not want that DA after me. She knows her business. She's smart. She's tough and seemingly fearless. Up to now, she's handled herself well in front of the media and handled Trump's legal challenges well. I'm pulling for her.

But I won't ignore the facts.

Right now, all we have is innuendo/an allegation. But this defendants lawyer alleges that they have looked at another sealed case related to this prosecutor's divorce. They claim that they have other corroborating evidence. They're lawyers presenting this claim in a court of law. That is not the same as lying to the media. Lawyers can be disciplined for lying to a court. Ask many of Trumps disbarred/sanctioned lawyers.

So let's get the facts.

The fact that Fani did not outright deny the claim could be a problem. Time will tell.

[pnwmom]

45. A prosecutor with a rape victim???? Not comparable AT ALL.

Did you even read the article? The attorney was manipulating the young rape victim with threats of suicide AND he tampered with evidence.

Fani Willis, OTOH, has been accused of having a relationship with a fellow prosecutor, and there's no rule in Georgia barring relationships between attorneys working on the same side.


"But Pete Skandalakis, the head of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, which advises district attorneys around the state, said local prosecutors do not have to obtain permission from county commissions to appoint outside prosecutors. Skandalakis, a Republican and former district attorney, said he was not aware of any state rules of professional conduct that address personal relationships between prosecutors."



https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/01/14/nathan-wade-fani-willis-georgia-trump/

[Jarqui]

48. I did read an article on the case with that prosecutor

Here's a link to my response
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=3180211

I will not stick my head in the sand until we have all the facts.
I'm hoping they have nothing.
But I will not rush to judgement on this.

I'll be with the 1st group who are outraged if this helps Trump get off the hook.
I'm hopeful it won't because her conduct had nothing to do with Trump & his co-conspirators conduct.

Let's get all the facts before passing judgement.

[pnwmom]

50. Until we know more, I am going to defend her from attacks by people who assume the worst

and compare her situation to that of a prosecutor who took sexual advantage of a 24 year old rape victim.

[Jarqui]

55. That's a strawman

Again, you asked a general question.

"When have you ever heard of a white male prosecutor whose sex life was used as a pretext for dropping a case?"

I answered that general question. I did not say I was comparing the particular case in that answer to Fani's situation. I only provided an example of a case to answer your general and not specific question.

I am not comparing Fani to that attorney because as I have said repeatedly:
WE DO NOT KNOW ALL THE FACTS

I'll jackhammer that point until it sinks in.

At the same time, I won't excuse her or pretend nothing could possibly wrong for the same reason:
WE DO NOT KNOW ALL THE FACTS!!!!!

Until we know all the facts, we can't say it is a problem for Fani or her case or that it is not a problem for Fani or her case.

But I at least acknowledge and have laid out that it is possible that this could be a problem for Fani or her case - in light of what the defendant's lawyer submitted to the court and in light of the fact that she has not denied the entire allegation.

[pnwmom]

51. The reason the cases aren't comparable at all is because the other attorney

wasn't simply accused of having a sexual relationship with another attorney, as Willis was.

The white male attorney was accused of pressuring a young rape victim to have sex, and even tampering with evidence.

Instead of finding a case where a white male attorney has been accused of having a sexual relationship with another attorney that he works with, you find one of a loathsome creep who manipulated and raped a young, vulnerable woman.

It is completely unfair for you to say, on the one hand, that we don't know all the facts about Willis -- and on the other hand to compare her situation to that of a known rapist and evidence-tamperer.

[Jarqui]

54. I do not agree

[ExWhoDoesntCare]

31. Why should there be?

It's *immaterial* to the case.

You're falling for a delay-tactic con, and a stupid one.

[intheflow]

56. Willis herself is targeted as much

for her race as her position. It is 100% reasonable to assume racism is behind this attack. Are you suggesting, by way of saying she didn’t sleep with a white person, that if she had it would have turned out differently? Good god, they would have gone after that person too, because they hate “n-word lovers” as much as they hate Black people. The fact the other lawyer is Black just made it that much easier for the racists.

[Jarqui]

68. I also think she is targeted as a woman

Trump can't stand women having power over him.

With Trump & MAGA , there is no doubt racism is involved in general against her. It has been documented from way back as the case went along. They have endured serious threats.
The fact that he's black adds fuel to that nasty racism.
To me, that is a given. It was there before this. It will still be there after.

But to the case:
I can't imagine the court saying "Fani cannot be in this case any more because she had sex with a black prosecutor but if he'd been a white prosecutor that Fani had sex with, that would have been ok or things would be different". I do not think that is in the cards.
I cannot imagine claims in court of a conflict of interest would be heavily based on the pigmentation of the prosecutor. They might allege it but very tough, if not impossible, to prove.
It would be based on things like "was the prosecutor biased in any way to help his girlfriend win her case or to get her to give him money through the Justice system as long as he did what she wanted?" and going down that line of attack and questioning why it wouldn't be declared up front.
They won't be making the argument "he shouldn't have got as much money in legal fees as a white person because he's black" (though some racists might feel that way)

Anyone here think if Fani had a fling with a white prosecutor and the defendants lawyers found out, that she wouldn't be facing something like this? The racist attacks against Fani started long before there was any notion of an affair. They may subside at some point but they'll never stop.

I long for the day when Fani would be standing there as they put cuffs on this racist son of a bitch and perp walk him off to jail. That would be truly making America great again.

[Hekate]

61. Have you ever heard of someone being asked the baseless question: When did you stop beating your wife?

After that has been put in people’s minds, all the denials in the world won’t erase the accusations.

Remember how we lost Al Franken.

[Jarqui]

66. That is part of my potential concern with a jury,

the media on the right and Trump's MAGA horn

Hopefully, MTG doesn't get a hold of his dick pics

[rubbersole]

14. Why didn't she just pay him $130,000 to shut up?

[pnwmom]

16. Pay the defendant to shut him up? He's asking for his charges to be dismissed, not for money.

[rubbersole]

18. My bad...that didn't come out right.

Trying to joke about tfg and Miss Stormy. Fani is going to be verbally attacked by magats no matter what she does.

[japple]

22. You didn't use the sarcasm smilie. That stuff goes right over some heads!!!

Here:

Never, ever fail to use it even if you think it's obvious sarcasm.

[pnwmom]

25. The problem for me was the "him" could have been a number of people. And, yes,

I didn't remember what the $130K referred to.

[MichMan]

32. Were the cases in the other county she mentioned similar to RICO prosecutions like this one?

Willis did not use Wade's name as she launched into the speech, only telling audience members at the historical church that the special prosecutor she hired was the same person hired in a different county to do a similar job at a much higher pay rate.

If Wade has prior experience prosecuting RICO cases, that would negate any allegations of impropriety and would shut this down immediately.

[pnwmom]

37. If you're a qualified lawyer, you don't need RICO experience to assist on a RICO case.

Last edited Sun Jan 14, 2024, 09:42 PM - Edit history (1)

The RICO law is used to tie multiple cases together, and Fani has enough experience in RICO for her whole team.

The work of collecting depositions and other evidence, analyzing them, and preparing documents doesn't change because this is a RICO case. In many respects, this case is more like a document-heavy civil case than a typical criminal case.

"|Several other attorneys representing co-defendants in the case said they have had no issue with Wade’s management style. Requesting anonymity to speak candidly about the controversy, the two lawyers said Wade has been genial and organized.

"One said Wade could be a formidable foe despite his lack of criminal experience, noting that civil litigators can be quick on their feet and well-versed in rules of evidence, which are the same in criminal and civil cases."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/01/14/nathan-wade-fani-willis-georgia-trump/

From the Georgia Bar's Rules of Professional conduct.

"[2] A lawyer need not necessarily have special training or prior experience to handle legal
problems of a type with which the lawyer is unfamiliar. A newly admitted lawyer can be as competent
as a practitioner with long experience. Some important legal skills, such as the analysis of precedent, the
evaluation of evidence and legal drafting, are required in all legal problems. Perhaps the most
fundamental legal skill consists of determining what kind of legal problems a situation may involve, a
skill that necessarily transcends any particular specialized knowledge. A lawyer can provide adequate
representation in a wholly novel field through necessary study. Competent representation can also be
provided through the association of a lawyer of established competence in the field in question."

https://www.gabar.org/barrules/upload/grpc_newrules.pdf

[MichMan]

39. Were the career prosecutors already employed by the county not qualified then?

I wasn't sure what she meant when she said he previously had a similar job in another county.

Wade may have excellent qualifications, but unfortunately, being that they are apparently romantically involved, Willis might need to go above and beyond to show why she specifically needed to hire him to stop this from being a huge distraction. Hiring your boyfriend with taxpayer money usually isn't a good look.

[pnwmom]

40. The career prosecutors were busy with the normal workload. The Trump case

was a massive addition.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/01/14/nathan-wade-fani-willis-georgia-trump/

A person familiar with the hiring who requested anonymity because they were not publicly authorized to discuss the matter said Willis approached several outside attorneys about taking on the assignment, but many declined, with at least one citing a desire to avoid the politically charged atmosphere and potential attacks from the former president and his allies.

Willis told those close to her that she wanted a person she could trust to handle the scrutiny and pressure of the investigation. Wade had been a longtime friend, dating to when he mentored her when she briefly served as a municipal court judge in the city of South Fulton, south of Atlanta.

Roman’s filing alleges that Willis failed to obtain the proper permission from the Fulton County Board of Commissioners to hire Wade.

But Pete Skandalakis, the head of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, which advises district attorneys around the state, said local prosecutors do not have to obtain permission from county commissions to appoint outside prosecutors. Skandalakis, a Republican and former district attorney, said he was not aware of any state rules of professional conduct that address personal relationships between prosecutors.

[MichMan]

41. No one can claim he isn't dedicated to the case

Last edited Sun Jan 14, 2024, 10:17 PM - Edit history (1)

Working around the clock if necessary

Don't see it having any effect on the case, but it sure is an unnecessary distraction.

[kelly1mm]

43. I think too many here are looking at this issue as team blue v. team red. There is something

called the appearance of impropriety. So, if you are in a position of power like an elected district attorney, you shouldn't hire your (alleged) paramour for any reason. Because even if they are fully qualified for the job it gives the appearance of impropriety.

That being said, if really has nothing to do with the prosecutions going forward against the GA defendents ,,,,,

[pnwmom]

44. As some TV analyst said, though, this is a Human Resources issue,

not an issue that should cause the judge to toss out the charges that have been filed against Roman (or anyone else).

And there's this:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/01/14/nathan-wade-fani-willis-georgia-trump/

"But Pete Skandalakis, the head of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, which advises district attorneys around the state, said local prosecutors do not have to obtain permission from county commissions to appoint outside prosecutors. Skandalakis, a Republican and former district attorney, said he was not aware of any state rules of professional conduct that address personal relationships between prosecutors."


Mr. Skandalakis, I read elsewhere, is the one who'd be appointing any replacement of Nathan Hade, if he left the position for any reason.

[kelly1mm]

53. I agree that this is not an issue for the trial judge. It is an issue that the DA should have avoided

by not hiring her (alleged) paramour due to an appearance of impropriety. It is OK to criticize the DA, even when she is going against Trump and his associates.

[NJCher]

47. Thinking like a lawyer

If Fani had an affair with Wade, I'm going to be disappointed with her. Until now I have admired her immensely for having the guts to go up against trump, knowing full well what a mob boss mentality he has and how he would slur her name and reputation. Not only that, but I admire her for taking on a case like this and doing the
rigorous work it takes to put everything in place for trial.

If she went on trips with Wade, it can be documented and that's something she should never have let happen. She didn't "think like a lawyer." Proof is hotel bills, airplane fares, etc. When a person knows the law, one thinks in terms of documentation. Can you prove this? Is there paperwork to prove it? How would this look in a court of law?

In this case, how will this look in the "court "of public opinion?

Not good. It's not going to interfere with prosecution of this case and republicans are fools if they think it will, but it's an unnecessary distraction.

[Silent Type]

52. Sadly, this will impact case. For one thing, think there is a 50/50 chance Wade resigns

Last edited Mon Jan 15, 2024, 11:52 AM - Edit history (1)

for billing questions/irregularities. I don’t think he’s been overpaid for 2 years of work, but you can’t bill 24 hours a day of work for several days and expect no objections. Hopefully, he was billing for his firm, not just him, but not what it looks like.

I think Willis made an error in appointing Wade, if for no other reason than avoiding distractions in what could be the biggest case in US history.

On other hand, plenty of men have done a lot worse in similar situations.

[oldsoftie]

57. Willis didnt address the issue at hand; she went with race.

The man in question has billed out far more than 1/3 of the hours charged. The man in question used to be a Municipal Court judge; FAR less experienced than the other two appointees. When he was initially appointed some people asked "Why this guy? He's not a prosecutor"
I want to see how she responds to the actual filing not a speech in a church. That will tell us the truth because she's not going to pull a trump & lie to the judge. But even if there IS a relationship, legally that alone doesnt trash the case. As I understand it here in ATL, the judge will determine IF the relationship benefits from the OUTCOME of the case. But it's still not a good look for her if its true. It just looks like the usual political cronyism & thats disappointing.

[Hekate]

58. 🔥We Dems need to Have. Her. Back. We need to Defend. Our. Own. When are we going to learn that?

The GOP does nothing but dig dirt and make up lies. They are masters of propaganda. They are masters of getting us to cut our own throats.

By now our automatic response to any accusations against good people should be to defend them vigorously.

🔥 Remember Al Franken. 🔥

[Zeitghost]

62. No

We need to defend the truth and take ethical positions based on the facts and our liberal values.

Defending someone on our team just because they are on our team is what lowlife Republicans with no moral compass do. We are better than that.

IF there is something shady in the way Mr. Wade was hired or paid, it needs to be dealt with. It will not affect the eventual outcome of the case.

Sorry, but hiring someone you have a strong personal connection to with taxpayer funds is an issue. IF that is the case and Mr. Wade had the special skills and experience needed, any potential conflicts should have been disclosed and the hiring decision should have been moved to someone else, just to avoid the potential appearance of impropriety. I've had enough corporate HR training to have been told that in countless sexual harassment trainings. I'm positive Ms. Willis has as well as a public employee.

[Hekate]

63. Ms Wills is the best there is, and has the will to bring down Trump. The case will die without her

…and the GOP knows it. That is why they are going after her now.

Remember all the hoo-rah here when Al Franken was accused — by a woman who turned out to be a 100% liar working for the right wing?

When are we going to learn? The GOP/Right Wing have declared war on us, and I do mean war. When are we going to learn to distrust every damn thing they accuse one of ours of?

Get this case done first.

[pnwmom]

64. It isn't fair to hold Fani to a CA corporate standard -- or whatever enlightened state you live in.

You may think it's obvious that " hiring someone you have a strong personal connection to with taxpayer funds is an issue" == but it's not the practice in Georgia. Your "corporate HR training" standard isn't followed in state government in Georgia -- according to the Republican lawyer who would be the one to appoint a replacement, if she left her position for any reason:


https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/01/14/nathan-wade-fani-willis-georgia-trump/

"But Pete Skandalakis, the head of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, which advises district attorneys around the state, said local prosecutors do not have to obtain permission from county commissions to appoint outside prosecutors. Skandalakis, a Republican and former district attorney, said he was not aware of any state rules of professional conduct that address personal relationships between prosecutors."

[prodigitalson]

65. always something

[Bristlecone]

67. The whole thing smells of Roger Stone Rat-fucking.

[Jarqui]

69. Spoke with a good friend. a former prosecutor who recently retired.

He said this happens in cases. It's like people working in an office.
They get attracted, horny or whatever.
If the fling was with the judge, he could see an obvious problem.
But he couldn't see a big deal between the DA and a prosecutor.
He didn't think it should jeopardize the case (though not knowing all the facts)

IF that even happened.
We don't know all the facts yet.

[pnwmom]

70. Right, we don't know all the facts yet.

Thanks for speaking to your friend about this.

[Hekate]

71. A reminder from Luckovich...