The judge overseeing the election interference case against former president Donald Trump in Georgia has reportedly scheduled a hearing for Feb. 15 to examine recent allegations that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her lead prosecutor “engaged in an improper relationship and mishandled public money,” The Washington Post confirms.
Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is also directing Willis to file a written response by February 2.
“The accusations first came to light in a filing from one of Trump’s co-defendants, former campaign aide Mike Roman,” The Post’s Amy Gardner and Holly Bailey report.
Willis jumped right into the fray Sunday morning, addressing the accusations.
Speaking from the pulpit at Big Bethel Baptist Church in downtown Atlanta, Willis referenced what she believes to be a double standard by those accusing her of giving Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade preferential treatment and pay while working for her.
Willis did not use Wade’s name as she launched into the speech, only telling audience members at the historical church that the special prosecutor she hired was the same person hired in a different county to do a similar job at a much higher pay rate.
She spoke glowingly about the credentials of everyone on her team and the importance of their jobs.
Willis was at Big Bethel Church to speak ahead of the Martin Luther King holiday.
Last Friday, Mike Roman’s lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, said, “I would never have filed something like this if I didn’t have multiple sources to corroborate.” Merchant told our partners at Channel 2 that the alleged relationship could potentially taint the case against her client.
The motions were one of several topics covered in a Jan. 12 hearing in front of Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee.
At the time, former President Trump’s attorney, Steve Sadow, did not want to commit to whether or not he would be on board with the motions: “I’m leery to move and adopt motions that make such allegations without having a better understanding or substantiation of the allegation.”
Trump referenced Willis Sunday at a pre-caucus rally in Iowa, saying the allegations are proof that the case against him in Georgia should be dropped.
“You saw Fani Willis gave her boyfriend a million bucks to go get Trump,” he said. “She has been exposed. I can’t imagine they can continue on with that case... they should drop that Georgia case.”
Fulton County District Attorney’s Office spokesman Jeff DiSantis said the office will respond to Merchant’s allegations in court filings: “We look forward to addressing the matter.”
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The Washington Post and Atlanta Journal Constitution contributed to this story