1 of 2 | Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' office said it would respond to a motion Monday "through appropriate court filings," after a co-defendant of former President Donald Trump in his Georgia election interference case accused Willis of engaging "in a personal, romantic relationship" with the lead prosecutor. File photo by Erik S. Lesser/EPA-EFE/
Jan. 8 (UPI) -- A co-defendant of former President Donald Trump in his Georgia election interference case is seeking to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and dismiss the indictment, according to a court filing Monday that alleges Willis "engaged in a personal, romantic relationship" with a top prosecutor on the case and that both benefited financially.
According to the 127-page court filing, former Trump campaign staff member Michael Roman accuses Willis of failing to disclose an alleged relationship with Nathan Wade -- the special prosecutor she brought in to lead the case -- and that she "personally benefited from" the relationship.
The motion claims Wade has been paid $654,000 in legal fees, which were authorized by Willis, to prosecute the case despite a "lack of relevant experience."
While there is no proof in the document of a romance between Willis and Wade, "sources close to both the special prosecutor and the district attorney have confirmed they had an ongoing, personal relationship," the filing states.
"Willis has benefited substantially and directly, and continues to benefit from this litigation because Wade is being paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to prosecute this case on her behalf," the filing claims. "In turn, Wade is taking Willis on, and paying for, vacations across the world with money he is being paid by the Fulton County taxpayers and authorized solely by Willis."
The filing claims Willis and Wade have traveled together to Napa Valley, Calif., and Florida, in addition to a Caribbean cruise. It also claims Willis "never had legal authority to appoint the special prosecutor," who helped obtain grand jury indictments against Roman and Trump.
Roman is seeking to have the charges against him dismissed and to have Willis, Wade and the district Attorney's office disqualified from further prosecution of the case, the motion states.
Willis spokeswoman Pallavi Bailey said Monday that the district Attorney's office will respond to Roman's allegations "through appropriate court filings."
Roman, Trump and 17 others have pleaded not guilty to racketeering charges in the indictment accusing them of trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Four of the defendants -- Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, Jena Ellis and Scott Hall -- have since taken plea deals in exchange for testimony against other defendants.
Trump, who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, has called the indictment election interference and politically motivated.
According to the motion filed Monday, attorneys for Roman described the district attorney's alleged relationship with the special prosecutor as "honest services fraud" in which a "vendor gives kickbacks to an employer."
"Accordingly, the district attorney and the special prosecutor have violated laws regulating the use of public monies, suffer from irreparable conflicts of interest, and have violated their oaths of office under the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct and should be disqualified from prosecuting this matter."
