According to a court motion filed by one of President Trump’s co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis hired an alleged romantic partner to prosecute Trump.

The court filing, which argued the criminal charges were unconstitutional, alleges Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade had engaged in a “romantic relationship.”

It also alleges that Wade, a private attorney, paid for extravagant vacations he took with Willis using the Fulton County funds his law firm received.

“County records show that Wade, who has played a prominent role in the election interference case, has been paid nearly $654,000 in legal fees since January 2022. The DA authorizes his compensation,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

WATCH:

In the filing seeking to dismiss the charges, Trump co-defendant Michael Roman accused Willis and Wade of traveling together and being seen together around Atlanta in a personal capacity.

More from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

The motion, filed on behalf of defendant Michael Roman, a former Trump campaign official, seeks to have the charges against Roman dismissed and for Willis, Wade and the entire DA’s office to be disqualified from further prosecution of the case.

Pallavi Bailey, a Willis spokeswoman, said the DA’s office will respond to Roman’s allegations “through appropriate court filings.” Wade did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The document offers no concrete proof of the romantic ties between Willis and Wade, but says “sources close to both the special prosecutor and the district attorney have confirmed they had an ongoing, personal relationship.”

Roman’s lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, said she reviewed the case file in Wade’s ongoing divorce proceedings at the Superior Court Clerk’s Office and made copies of certain documents. But the case file was later improperly sealed because no court hearing was held as required by law, the motion said.

Because the case remains under seal, Merchant said she is not sharing the information she obtained from the divorce file until the seal is lifted. She also said she is asking a judge to unseal the case file.

It is unclear if the explosive issues raised in the filing undermine the validity of the indictment against Trump and the remaining 14 co-defendants or simply muddy the waters by questioning Willis’ professional ethics.

“The district attorney chose to appoint her romantic partner, who at all times relevant to this prosecution has been a married man,” attorney Ashleigh Merchant wrote, according to NBC News.

Per NBC News:

When reached for comment, Merchant addressed the lack of evidence in Monday’s filing, saying that she cannot share some of it until Wade’s divorce records are unsealed.

“At a hearing, the concrete evidence would be presented. So, when we get a hearing, there would be concrete evidence and obviously that could be in the form of two of the prosecution team members,” she said, referring to Willis and Wade potentially testifying.

Merchant added that she has asked a Cobb County judge to unseal Wade’s divorce records.

Roman worked for Trump’s presidential campaigns in 2016 and 2020. In addition to the racketeering charge, he is accused of conspiring to organize “alternate electors” to cast votes for Trump after President Joe Biden won the 2020 election.

Four defendants in the case have pleaded guilty, while Roman and Trump, who faces 13 criminal counts, have pleaded not guilty.

Read the filing HERE.

 

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