Georgia starts investigation into Trump's election interference

So I read the link inside this bit:
Whether Willis will be disqualified remains uncertain. Legal experts have generally suggested the evidence to date – there has been almost none, bar Wade’s bank statements showing he paid for a couple of trips – did not show an actual conflict of interest.

And this line is the most striking:
By filing the allegations as part of the court case, and not directly with a disciplinary body, Roman may have made a strategic decision to try and muddy the legal issues in the case, understanding the optics for Willis would look bad, he added.


Also skimmed through the legal opinion piece linked inside written by Norman Eisen, a former “ethics czar” under Barack Obama
Why Fani Willis Is Not Disqualified Under Georgia Law

Under Georgia law, however, even if all the factual allegations regarding Willis and Wade were true, there would be no basis for disqualifying them from prosecuting Roman or any of the other defendants in the election conspiracy case.​

The key point is that regardless of whether the factual circumstances involving Willis and Wade give rise to separate ethical concerns with respect to his hiring, such questions do not affect the propriety of the prosecution against Roman and his co-defendants. Questions about gifts and related matters go to Willis’s and Wade’s obligations to the Fulton County District Attorney’s office, and have no connection to assuring the defendants a fair trial. These allegations are as irrelevant to the trial as allegations in other situations that prosecutors took office supplies for personal use, drove county vehicles for personal errands, or plagiarized portions of their student law review notes. All of those are legitimate issues—for prosecutors’ offices and those with oversight responsibilities to address—but such allegations do not bring criminal prosecutions to a stop or require that cases be transferred to a different office. Defense attorneys cannot use allegations of prosecutorial ethics violations, real or imaginary, that have nothing to do with a trial to delay or force prosecutors off of a case.

As a matter of both common sense and Georgia law, a prosecutor is disqualified from a case due to a “conflict of interest” only when the prosecutor’s conflicting loyalties could prejudice the defendant leading, for example, to an improper conviction. None of the factual allegations made in the Roman motion have a basis in law for the idea that such prejudice could exist here – as it might where a law enforcement agent is involved with a witness, or a defense lawyer with a judge. We might question Willis’s judgment in hiring Wade and the pair’s other alleged conduct, but under Georgia law that relationship and their alleged behavior do not impact her or his ability to continue on the case.

Although the Georgia law on disqualifying a prosecutor would permit Wade to remain on the case as well, in our view he should voluntarily step down. His continued presence will create a distraction, and his departure, in addition to an on-the-record hearing in court, is the best path to dispense with any lingering concerns. Doing so will avoid any debate about even an appearance of impropriety going forward. Willis is an elected official and has an ongoing obligation to serve her constituents. Stepping down is the honorable thing for Wade to do and at the same time respect the interests of the electorate. ​

So the tl;dr is that this hearing is a show full of lawyers who already know the legal bounds of Willis and Wade's actions, and all they presumably know the outcome barring some new salacious discovery or some tape that exposes perjury. Even with perjury (why though?), it's not disqualifying to the prosecution as grounds for a conflict of interest against the defendant.

It's designed more to affect popular opinion, though Trump dogs will bark to whatever tune, whistle, or tweet Donny xeets out.

That's probably why Fani got baited in the worst possible way. She should've kept her cool and throw her former boyfriend off the island, but I guess it takes a certain kind of person willing to take on Trump cult's death threats, imagined and actual, for years on end.

 

Yeah not really much actual evidence -- Wade was solid and killed the momentum from the old friend that testified about the relationship. When Fani came stomping in saying she was ready to go right as the judge appeared to be ready to rule that she didn't have to testify was the first blunder. Team Trump hit the gold mine with all her circular rambling and bizarre info she provided for absolutely no reason. She said so many goofy things -- not knowing what continent Belize or the Bahamas were apart of was one of my favorites.

 

there were times her lawyer objected, the judge sustained the defense tried to move on and she still answered and refused to listen to her own attorney.

it was a really bad showing.

her combativeness on simple questions was silly. She also tried to talk about sex with the dude a couple of times and the details of her conversation when she dumped him. Just weird stuff man.

 

Here is an article about public officials accepting gifts in the State of Georgia. They were thinking of Clarence Thomas at the time but it's applicable to Fani Willis: https://www.ajc.com/news/gifts-and-...-works-in-georgia/5FYEAE3NDFCGFOJSMK5WBLIRYU/

 

Dipshit wore her expensive dress backwards while confessing to a crime

 

Wade got paid
Fani got laid
We as taxpayers got played
Fani seems not to know the difference between a cash whorre and cash hoard.
Why do you guys use the dumbest people to go after Trump?

 

Your bolded statement implies that their relationship can be admitted in a court case about Trump's criminality with Georgia election law. While this is a public opinion issue, I assume it is completely unrelated and, thus, will not be admissible in the case. Is my assumption wrong?

 

Maybe because y'all aren't comfortable with a strong woman. j/k I didn't watch it, but now I might. When there are strong opposing opinions about the same event, my curiosity goes up.

 

She is not a strong woman but a low IQs, trifling, petty jackass and full of herself if you watch this clown show objectively.

 

I don’t know if it’s admissible or not and I don’t believe it presents a conflict of interest. The problem as we already see is it goes to Willis and Wade’s judgment. Trump’s strategy has been to politicize everything and push for delays. This just gives him far more material for those.

 

Don't think it is admissible.

Judgment is subjective, and I think that belongs more to the sphere of public opinion. (I do think it's poor judgment.)

Sure, and he will play the delay game, but I wonder how much runway he has with this case in GA. Once this judge rules (most likely in favor of the DA), can he appeal to the GA Supreme Court, or is that it... ??

 

These idiots deserve their own thread separate of trump.

TIDIOTSOT

 

1. Willis and Wade are idiots. And probably lied about the cash payment for vacation.

2. I don’t see how this is a basis for recusal. I think the best argument is motive: that Willis appointed Wade to prosecute Trump not because of the evidence against Trump, but to enrich Wade. Seems to me that’s weak, considering Willis was bent on prosecuting Trump a long time ago. Judge should rule against recusal.

3. Seems like we have potential State Bar of Georgia ethics violations and maybe perjury as well. Willis and Wade should withdraw as soon as the Judge rules against recusal, and the best members of the prosecution team should be out in charge to move forward. W and W are stupid if they think the Judge’s order is the last of this. Trumps lawyers will do everything they can to make sure complaints are made to the State Bar.

4. A typical jury will decide cases based on fundamental feelings about who is credible, fairness, who is at fault, who is a good actor, who is a bad actor. You just can’t have W or W anywhere in this case when it is time to try it. Whoever is Willis’ boss need to make sure she withdraws the first chance she can.

And no, I don’t care that if the Judge rules against recusal. That’s not the point. The point is to try a clean case with a good chance to win. The facts against Trump are very strong.

 

I would agree with your point that if this is dismissed W&W should hand it off..............I do think this whole thing was a show and this was all for trump and after watching some of it, its a smear campaign but Willis should have been more professional. When dealing with anything trump you have to check your own closet for skeletons and if there is even a hint of shenanigans then find a new lawyer. I personally didn't find the one former colleague credible. I have traveled with my GF many, many times and we have always "talked" about splitting the cost, but I always seem to get stuck with the entire bill, but maybe Willis is better than my GF

 

I want her to win!

 

100% in agreement. I don't know if Willis needs to recuse because I don't know if her credibility ultimately matters to the jury if she's not involved in the actual trial. But Wade 100% needs to be fired or resign as soon as this is over if they aren't forced aside. His presence will only hurt the case.

The idea that she just showed up two or three times and handed him thousands of dollars in cash is bananas. The judge had to be rolling his eyes in his mind as this defense was used.

Ultimately none of this really matters. Trump isn't harmed at all by her and her boyfriend knocking boots in Belize. It's totally irrelevant. It's a sideshow to smear her and the prosecutor and to reach for a delay.

I think the judge should NOT disqualify, but Wade should resign or get fired and Fani Willis should be investigated for ethics violations. I would never vote to re-elect her either.

 

Yep. People forget that Trump literally comes from the David Pecker/National Inquirer school of smear business. His companions know how to look at an “enemy”, dig for dirt, and unleash a salacious smear campaign. He knows that sex sells and he knows that rather than put his investments into his own defense, he’s better off going on offense against anyone that would hold him accountable.

That being said yes Willis shouldn’t have hired Wade if they were sleeping together at any point. She has to be aware of who she’s prosecuting. Of course Trumps scum bag lawyers and Michael Cohen type low life’s would be out there looking for anything they can to smear your name and reputation.

The whole cash thing though is so stupid. Only in Trumpland and our complicit media landscape of stupidity would they think present having some cash on hand as a crime.

I’ll be surprised at this point if the judge drops Willis off the case and I’ll be even double shocked if the judge drops her entire office off the case causing a new attorneys office to take over and potentially drop the case on behalf of Trump. There’s already multiple guilty pleas in this case. That would be insane to just upend justice like that all because there was an office romance and a superior paid for the happy hour tab.