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A fourth co-defendant in the Georgia case towards former president Donald Trump has filed a movement for the courtroom to disqualify embattled District Attorney Fani Willis.
Co-defendant David Schafer, who in 2020 served as the Georgia GOP Chairman and a GOP presidential elector for Georgia throughout the 2020 election, filed a movement in courtroom Monday saying Willis has engaged in a “pattern of prosecutorial, forensic misconduct” which he says ought to disqualify not solely her, however her whole workplace and prosecution workers.
Schafer’s movement follows co-defendant Michael Roman’s claims that Willis engaged in an “improper” relationship with particular prosecutor Nathan Wade whom she employed to prosecute the sprawling racketeering case towards Trump and requested the courtroom to disqualify her from the case.
Willis on Friday responded to the allegations in a courtroom submitting and admitted to having a “personal” relationship with Wade however denied any battle of curiosity. She additionally argued that in accordance to Georgia regulation, to ensure that a district lawyer to be forcibly eliminated from a case, the battle of curiosity has to be dangerous to a defendant’s case.
Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis and particular prosecutor Nathan Wade. Wade has reached a brief divorce settlement along with his estranged spouse. (Getty Images)
Schafer on Monday claimed that Willis has a “pattern of prejudicial public statements” about the case via varied media interviews and public speeches, and claimed that in making such statements, she meant to “reject and infect the jury pool.” Shafer and his legal professionals argue that that is primarily what warrants her removing.
The courtroom submitting Monday references when Willis first addressed the affair allegations in January throughout remarks she made at Bethel AME Church in Atlanta.
“They only attacked one,” she mentioned. “First thing they say, ‘Oh, she’s gonna play the race card now.’
“But no God, isn’t it them that’s taking part in the race card once they solely query one,” Willis requested.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks during a worship service at the Big Bethel AME Church, where she was invited as a guest speaker on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Atlanta. (Miguel Martinez/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
“You can’t count on Black ladies to be excellent and save the world,” Willis said, adding that “we want to be allowed to stumble. We want grace.”
Schafer argued in Monday’s court filing that, “The apparent intent of her remarks was to inject and infect the jury pool in Fulton County with unfounded allegations that anybody who dares query her or Mr. Wade’s conduct should have performed so for racist functions.”
“As an lawyer and, most significantly, a public prosecutor, her feedback which immediately affected the pending litigation had been indefensible and reprehensible. These feedback represent prosecutorial, forensic misconduct and warrant her removing and that of her Office from the prosecution of this case,” the filing states.
In legal filings last month, Roman alleged that Wade billed Fulton County for 24 hours of work on a single day in November 2021, shortly after being appointed as a special prosecutor, and that Willis financially benefited from her alleged lover’s padded taxpayer-funded salary by taking lavish vacations together on his dime.
According to the court documents, Wade, who has no RICO and felony prosecution experience, billed taxpayers $654,000 since January 2022.
Schafer also argues that Willis’ employment of Wade “to examine and prosecute the defendants and funds to Mr. Wade of over a half one million {dollars} from the Fulton County treasury whereas permitting Mr. Wade to pay for holidays for the District Attorney and different private bills constitutes a disqualifying battle of curiosity in addition to a violation of moral guidelines relevant to attorneys and Fulton County staff, and probably prison regulation.”
The motion also claims that Willis’ “improper and inaccurate characterization” of Schaefer and the other 2020 nominee Republican Presidential Electors as “Fake Electors” to the national media “has been exceedingly prejudicial” to Schafer, noting that “always materials” to her indictment, Schafer was qualified as a “lawful” Presidential Elector pursuant to Georgia law through his nomination as a Presidential Elector by the Georgia Republican Party.
Schafer asked the court to keep in place a Feb. 15 evidentiary hearing set by Judge Scott McAfee, in which the parties will present evidence to try and compel the court to remove Willis and her office from the case.
GEORGIA HOUSE VOTES TO REVIVE PROSECUTOR OVERSIGHT PANEL THAT COULD OUST FANI WILLIS
Fulton County, Georgia district attorney Fani Willis, who brought charges against former President Donald Trump on election interference, is taking heat from all sides. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
Schafer’s lawyer, Craig A. Gillen, wrote Monday that he “understands and appreciates that an evidentiary listening to relating to the District Attorney’s forensic misconduct and the monetary facets of District Attorney Willis and Mr. Wade’s private relationship that create these disqualifying conflicts of curiosity is unseemly and an uncomfortable expertise for all concerned,” and that he “doesn’t pursue these claims evenly.”
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“But, as famous,” Gillen states, “District Attorney Willis and Mr. Wade are usually not victims right here—these are all self-inflicted and utterly avoidable errors during which the protection had no hand, however are of such significance that the protection has no alternative however to put them earlier than the Court.”
Gillen said in the filing that Willis’ discomfort “pales compared to what Mr. Shafer – a presumptively and really harmless man – has endured.”
“His life has been upended by unwarranted and meritless fees filed by District Attorney Willis (that she doesn’t have the authorized authority or jurisdiction to pursue),” the filing states.
The Fulton County District Attorney’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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