Trump Co-Defendant Alleges, Without Proof, Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis' 'Inappropriate' Tie to Prosecutor
Former president Donald Trump’s co-defendant in his Fulton County, Georgia, trial over election interference claims that District Attorney Fani Willis is romantically involved with one of the principal prosecutors in the case, CBS News reports.
But attorneys for the accuser, Michael Roman, have offered no evidence backing their allegation and only cite "Sources close to both the special prosecutor and the district attorney."
Roman, a one-time campaign official for Trump, faces seven felony counts and is charged with conspiracy and violation of the Georgia RICO act for allegedly trying to gather phony Republican electors to stop President Joe Biden’s election certification and overturn the state’s 2020 election results.
His Monday (Jan. 8) filing claims Willis is in a romantic relationship with prosecutor Nathan Wade and is benefiting financially from it. It also claims that Willis and Wade have taken vacations together, paid for by him. Willis authorizes Wade’s payment, which has so far come to $654,000 since 2022, according to .
According to Roman’s filing, Willis and Wade “have been engaged in an improper, clandestine personal relationship during the pendency of this case, which has resulted in the special prosecutor, and, in turn, the district attorney, profiting significantly from this prosecution at the expense of the taxpayers.”
Because of these allegations, Roman’s legal team wants the charges against him dismissed “on the grounds that the entire prosecution is invalid and unconstitutional.” They also want Willis, Wade, and the Fulton County District Attorney’s office disqualified from trying the case.Trump himself said after a hearing on Tuesday (Jan. 9) that Willis's case against him has been compromised and must be abandoned because of the allegations.
“You had a very big event (Monday) as you saw in Georgia where the district attorney is totally compromised. The case has to be dropped,” said Trump, according to . The former president is facing 13 counts of trying to overturn election results in Georgia. These charges are separate from the federal criminal case he faces, which could result in him being unable to continue his campaign in the 2024 election.
But Trump, desperate to remove any charges against him, also made a claim in August 2023, backed by no evidence, that Willis was having an affair with a gang member, which she responded to as “derogatory and false,” the .
Trump also has accused her and other Black prosecutors in cases against him as “racist,” including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
According to CBS News, Willis’ office has not yet responded to the claims Roman’s legal team has made but says it will through the necessary court filings.
