March 16th 2024.
As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, the case involving former President Donald Trump's alleged election interference has taken a new turn. Judge Scott McAfee has ruled that the romantic relationship between Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her deputy, Nathan Wade, creates an appearance of a conflict of interest. This ruling presented the prosecution with an ultimatum: Wade steps down, Willis steps down, or the entire DA's office will be sidelined.
According to The Hill, Wade has elected to step down. In his resignation letter, he stated that he wants the case to proceed as quickly as possible. "As directed by the Order today in State of Georgia v. Donald John Trump, et al., 23SC188947, I hereby offer my resignation, effective immediately, as Special Prosecutor for the Fulton County District Attorney's Office. Although the court found that 'the Defendants failed to meet their burden of proving that the District Attorney acquired an actual conflict of interest,' I am offering my resignation in the interest of democracy, in dedication to the American public, and to move this case forward as quickly as possible."
It's worth noting that McAfee did not find evidence of an actual conflict of interest between Willis and Wade. However, he did rule that their vacations and romantic relationship gave the appearance of one, which was enough for him to require either Wade or Willis to remove themselves from the case.
In response to Wade's resignation letter, Willis sent a letter of her own, thanking and praising him for his courage and grace under pressure. "I compliment you for the professionalism and dignity you have shown over the last 865 days, as you have endured threats against you and your family, as well as unjustified attacks in the media and in court on your reputation as a lawyer." She continued, "I will always remember - and will remind everyone - that you were brave enough to step forward and take on the investigation and prosecution of the allegations that the defendants in this case engaged in a conspiracy to overturn Georgia's 2020 Presidential election."
With Wade's resignation, the trial that Willis refers to can now move forward. However, as of March 16, no trial date has been set.
In a tweet from March 15, 2024, Jasmine Crockett expressed her satisfaction with Wade's departure, saying, "Now bury this orange heathen under the jail. No election win for the Presidency can protect him from being ordered to the Georgia Department of Corrections. Fani Willis & her office can continue their prosecution so long as Special Prosecutor Wade is removed. The decision is odd..."
However, not everyone agrees with Crockett's take. Barb McQuade, another attorney, tweeted her disagreement, stating, "I usually agree with your takes, @AWeissmann_, but not this one. Although Fani Willis did, indeed, exercise tremendously poor judgment by engaging in a personal relationship with a subordinate, there is no conflict of interest, actual or apparent, between her and the defendants."
In a March 15, 2024 tweet, Hugo Lowell reported that Willis has accepted Wade's resignation, allowing her to continue on the case.
As reported by The New Yorker, McAfee acknowledged that Willis made a "tremendous lapse in judgment" by engaging in a relationship with her lead prosecutor in such a high-profile case. He also noted that the pair's "regular and loose exchange of money" and public comments on the allegations against them were problematic. However, McAfee ultimately decided that voters could address these issues in the election, and a dismissal of the indictment was not the appropriate remedy. Therefore, he allowed Willis to remain on the case, as long as Wade stepped aside.
Nora Benavidez, an Atlanta civil rights attorney, told The New Yorker that it's time to move beyond this distraction and focus on the election-subversion charges against Trump and his allies. She added, "The case is enormously important as our democracy lurches towards an election in which Mr. Trump is a candidate. It can and should move to trial now so the public, and a jury, can make their own decisions."
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