Fulton County District Attorney Fanny Willis spoke at an Atlanta church Sunday morning, where she delivered emotional and passionate remarks that appeared to acknowledge for the first time the affair allegations made against her last week, as well as her campaign for election. Also defended the special prosecutor brought in. Interference case against Donald Trump.
Speaking at Big Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church on Sunday during a service to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, she joked, “I hope this week I don’t look like I’ve been through.”
One of former President Trump’s co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case is seeking to dismiss the indictment against him and disqualify DA Willis, alleging he had “personal relations” with one of the top prosecutors. , was involved in a romantic relationship” with whom he brought to work. The affair, which allegedly resulted in financial gain for both of them.
In a court filing Monday, former Trump campaign staff member Michael Roman accused Willis of potentially committing “an act of deceiving the public of honest services” based on her “willful failure” to disclose the alleged relationship. which allegedly “benefited him personally”. ,
The 127-page filing from Roman’s attorney, Ashley Merchant, alleged that the prosecutor, Nathan Wade, “lacked relevant experience” but paid him nearly $650,000 in legal fees since being appointed to the role. Has been – that’s what the filing claims. “Self-serving system.” Trump’s lawyers said in court Friday that they are considering joining the complaint against Willis.
During his comments Sunday, which were livestreamed, Willis repeatedly called himself “flawed” and “incomplete.”
Willis also said she was “a little confused” as to why so many people questioned the decision to bring multiple special prosecutors into the case, and although she never mentioned Wade by name, she called him a “great Friend”, who was paid at par with others. While extensively defending his “impeccable credentials” for the job – suggesting that the attacks on him were racially motivated.
Willis said, “I hired three special counsels. It’s my right to do so. I pay them all the same hourly rate.” “They only attack one. I hired a white woman: a good personal friend and great lawyer, a superstar, I tell you. I hired a white man: brilliant, my friend and a great Lawyer. And I hired a black man, another superstar, a great friend and a great lawyer.”
Willis never denied or directly addressed allegations that she and Wade had an inappropriate relationship. He continued to tout Wade’s resume, saying that he was paid more than double when he was hired by a Republican in another county, and that he had worked as “a prosecutor, a criminal defense attorney, special assistant Served as Attorney General.”
“Aren’t they playing the race card when they only question one?” He said.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks during a news conference at the Fulton County Government Building on August 14, 2023 in Atlanta.
Joe Raddle/Getty Images, File
Speaking for more than 30 minutes, Willis’ emotional speech Sunday detailed her position as Fulton County DA and the difficulties she faced prosecuting the Trump case. She talked about feeling “alienated,” “lonely,” “stabbed in the back” and facing constant death threats, which caused her to move out of her home.
“I’m tired of being treated cruelly,” she said.
Willis read from a letter she said she wrote to God this week in which she said she felt “unworthy” of the job: “Lord, even now, I feel unworthy of this honor, ” he said while reading the letter, while seemingly choking.
Willis said, “A divorced single mother who doesn’t belong to the right social groups. She doesn’t necessarily come from the right family. She doesn’t have the right lineage. The job was too high for my insignificant self.”
Speaking about the threats against him, which are often racially motivated, he said that he and his family members’ lives have been threatened “so regularly, now I feel like if I had to die twice a week If you don’t receive death threats, it’s not normal.”
“They call me the N-word more than they call me fani,” he said, adding that his house has been bombed “several times.” She said she now spends “most days and nights” in isolation.
Willis also specifically called out Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
She said, “I never want to be like the people who attack me. I never want to be like Marjorie Taylor Greene, who never met me but filled her soul with hatred.”
Nevertheless, Willis touted his team’s accomplishments, saying they had “wins, wins, wins” and a 95% save rate.
“I thank you for every attack that makes me stronger,” she said.
Merchant pushed back at Willis’ suggestion at church Sunday that the charges against him and the special prosecutor were racially motivated, saying, “It has nothing to do with the color of their skin.”
Merchant told ABC News, “If anyone doubts our claim that (Nathan) Wade is inexperienced, ask him how many RICO cases he’s handled. Ask him how many crimes he’s tried.”
According to Merchant, there are allegations of a relationship between Wade and other special prosecutors brought in to work on the case.
“The biggest difference between Ms. Cross, Mr. Floyd and Mr. Wade is that Ms. Willis is not in a relationship with Ms. Cross and Mr. Floyd,” Merchant said. “And neither Ms. Cross nor Mr. Floyd have taken Ms. Willis on trips to California, Florida or the Caribbean.”
Merchant reiterated that she would “never file a motion that we don’t have evidence to support.”
“If we need to prove the allegations in open court, we are ready and welcome the opportunity,” he said.
Roman, Trump and 17 others pleaded not guilty to all charges in August in a sweeping fraud indictment for alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in the state of Georgia. Defendants Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, and Scott Hall later took plea deals in exchange for agreeing to testify against other defendants.
The former President has described the District Attorney’s investigation as politically motivated.
