Fani Willis has 'no plans to step down' from Trump RICO case

01 February 2024

In response to reports on Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis' alleged romantic involvement with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, many Donald Trump supporters have been calling for Willis' election interference/RICO case against Trump and a long list of allies to be thrown out. And some Trump critics are arguing that although the prosecution should continue, Willis should recuse herself from the case.

But according to CNN sources, Willis has "no plans to step down" from the case.

In an article published early Thursday morning, February 1, CNN's Zachary Cohen explains, "The sprawling racketeering case still has no trial date, and Willis and her team are keenly aware that the window to go to trial before the 2024 election is rapidly shrinking. Any change in the team handling the prosecution would likely delay the proceedings, and it's unclear if another prosecutor in Georgia would even be inclined to take up the case, given its political and legal challenges."

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Cohen adds, "Willis has faced immense public scrutiny since allegations first surfaced that she has benefitted financially from a romantic relationship with lead prosecutor Nathan Wade. Despite calls by some legal experts to recuse herself from the case to protect its integrity, she is not expected to do so, the sources told CNN."

Progressive legal expert Elie Mystal, in an article published by The Nation on January 23, found the allegations against Willis troubling but stressed that her alleged relationship with Wade didn't make the case against Trump and his allies any less damning.

Judge Scott McAfee has scheduled a Thursday, February 15 hearing to examine the allegations against Willis and Wade.

"Despite her intention to focus on the legal merits of the case," Cohen notes, "the allegations have provided cover for some political allies of Trump to resume attacking Willis and the case itself. Still, a source familiar with the thinking inside the DA's office told CNN they would be 'mystified' if it succeeds in removing her…. Sources said there are no immediate plans for Wade to step down, but if he did, Willis could replace him with another lead prosecutor or lean on her experienced staff without causing a delay in the proceedings."

CNN legal analyst Norm Eisen, who served as White House ethics czar under President Barack Obama, believes that Wade should step down from the case but sees no reason for Willis to do so.

Former DeKalb County District Attorney Robert James told CNN, "I think a lot of what I've read is more of a distraction and not legally substantive. Having an alleged affair with a subordinate, I don't really know how that has anything to do with the case or the facts, or the evidence, or whether Donald J. Trump or any of these other individuals have done what’s in the indictment."

Read CNN's full report at this link.

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