'Two thoughts' the 'public should consider' in Trump’s GA case as Willis faces hearing: analyst

11 February 2024

During Sunday's episode of MSNBC's The Weekend, legal analyst Andrew Weissman explained the implications of the ongoing misconduct allegations against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis amid Donald Trump's Georgia election interference case.

Earlier this week, The Hill reported, "After accusing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) and special prosecutor Nathan Wade of having romantic ties, one of Trump’s co-defendants in Georgia subpoenaed the duo along with more than a half-dozen of their colleagues for the hearing, scheduled for Feb. 15."

During a conversation with Weissmann, The Weekend co-host Symond Sanders Townsend noted, "The Fani Willis case, of all the other cases that he is facing, is the only one that if, in fact, Trump's elected, will go forward. Fani Willis has potential to haul the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump is reelected, into court, and hold him accountable. I think that that is scary for Donald Trump and his allies. That is what they're attacking him."

Weissmann replied, "There is no question that the two state criminal cases in Georgia and Manhattan, are ones that can't be brushed aside by Donald Trump winning the presidency again because they're state cases, as [former Republican National Committee Chair] Michael [Steele] said, not federal cases. So he would not have that power. On the other hand, it is the case that they would likely be stayed, pending sort of the four years that Donald Trump is president. But they would still be there at the end of the day. So, they do have that that bite, but it would probably be a delayed bite."

He continued, "I know that it doesn't deal with the political reality, but I do think that the public has to keep two thoughts and its head at the same time. Which is the defendant is charged with various crimes, and there is that fact. And, there is the hearing as to what exactly happened between Fani Willis, an elite prosecutor, and whether it was improper or not improper, whether there was an ethics issue. And that's just a very separate issue. And by the blending of them — it reminds me so much of when you do a criminal case, what the defense wants to do is make sure that there is, and any possible time, that the jury's focused on the prosecution table, and whether the agents and prosecutors did something wrong, and then sort of distract, is a good day for the defense.

The former Department of Justice official added, "Whereas, the prosecution wants to keep the trial focused on the evidence. Like what exactly happened, what's charged, what are the crimes. And I think that is what is going on here, which is the blended of those two things. There really are, I agree with [ex-Jan. 6 Committee counsel] Marcus [Childress] completely — completely distinct issues. In other words, you could think, maybe Fani willis had an improper relationship. There will be a hearing on that. But it is still a very separate, distinct issue from the criminal charges that are pending."

Co-host Alicia Menendez replied, "To clarify, something you said — that is that this case could be paused quickly."

Weissmann emphasized, "Yeah, there is substantial law that when someone's president, that a state case, you don't want 50 states being able to bring criminal cases, and have them go forward while somebody is president. That doesn't mean that they are immune, it doesn't mean that they can't be charged, and they can't be tried after they leave office. But the chances of the Manhattan case hasn't happened, or the Georgia case, if it hasn't happened, by the time that we have a new president, then they would be stayed. If they have gone forward, and there is a conviction, they stick. There's nothing federally that can happen to them."

Watch the video below or at this link.

'Two thoughts' the 'public should consider' in Trump’s GA case: legal analystyoutu.be

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