Atlanta, Georgia – Former President Donald Trump’s legal team is pushing to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the case involving allegations of interference in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. The team argues that phone records suggest a misrepresentation of the timeline of a relationship between Willis and another prosecutor, Nathan Wade. Trump’s lawyers claim that the relationship amounted to a financial conflict of interest, as Wade was hired by Willis for the case.
In response to the allegations, the district attorney’s office denies the accusations, stating that the data presented is being misinterpreted. Both Willis and Wade testified that their affair did not begin until early 2022, after Wade was appointed to the case. However, an investigator for Trump’s legal team, Charles Mittelstadt, claims that phone records show Wade in the vicinity of Willis’ home for an extended period at least 35 times throughout 2021.
According to Mittelstadt, the data indicates that the couple exchanged over 2,000 calls and nearly 12,000 phone interactions over 11 months in 2021. The records suggest that Wade was in proximity to Willis’ apartment on two occasions from late at night until early morning. Despite these findings, Willis’ office argues that the phone data do not prove any relevant information and should not be considered evidence in court.
The ongoing legal battle could potentially delay proceedings, possibly extending beyond the November presidential election. If Willis is disqualified from the case, it may not result in the dismissal of the charges against Trump, who is facing a total of 91 criminal charges in four separate cases. Additionally, a judge in New York recently ordered Trump to pay $454 million within a month after he was found liable for fraud in a civil case.
A hearing on the disqualification matter is scheduled for March 1st, where further arguments and evidence will be presented by both parties. The case has drawn attention due to its potential impact on Trump’s legal battles and the broader implications for the 2020 election fraud allegations in Georgia. The controversy surrounding the relationship between Willis and Wade continues to unfold as the legal proceedings progress.