Tom Pappert | The Georgia Star News

Texts Reveal Ex-Law Partner of Nathan Wade Sent Tips About Fani Willis Affair to Defense Attorney: ‘You Are My Friend and I Trust You’

March 1, 2024February 29, 2024 Tom Pappert

Text messages were published Wednesday by talk show host Megyn Kelly and reporter Phil Holloway, revealing the former law partner of special prosecutor Nathan Wade sent tips to a defense attorney about when he began an intimate relationship with District Attorney Fani Willis.

Though Bradley would later dismiss the information he provided in the text messages while testifying this week as speculation, the claims he made in writing support those made by attorneys representing Michael Roman, the former White House opposition researcher who was charged in the election case directed at former President Donald Trump.

Athens Mayor Faces Calls for Resignation After He Invokes Trump in Response to Murder of Laken Riley Despite Arrest of Illegal Immigrant

February 29, 2024February 28, 2024 Tom Pappert

Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz on Wednesday held a press conference to discuss the murder of nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia (UGA) campus, which police said was committed by Venezuelan illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra.

Girtz denied that Athens is a sanctuary city, which does not comply with detainers filed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that request local law enforcement detain illegal immigrants to be transferred to federal authorities for prosecution or deportation.

Georgia GOP Cites Sanctuary Cities, Biden Border Policy After Death of Laken Riley: ‘We Don’t Have to Continue to Live Like This’

February 28, 2024February 27, 2024 Tom Pappert

Georgia Republican Party Chair Josh McKoon expressed the party’s sympathies to the family and friends of Laken Riley, the 22-year-old nursing student who was slain on the University of Georgia (UGA) campus.

He described the death of Riley as a “preventable tragedy” and pointed to sanctuary city policies and the Biden administration’s border crisis after police identified her alleged murderer as Venezuelan illegal immigrant Jose Ibarra.

LockBit Hackers Who Attacked Fulton County Resurface After FBI Action, Claim to Hold Data from Georgia Trump Trial

February 27, 2024 Tom Pappert

The LockBit hacker group that seized control and temporarily stopped many Fulton County government services resurfaced just four days after an international intelligence operation seized many of the group’s servers in a bid to disrupt its activities.

A rambling message by the group’s pseudonymous leader upon the launch of LockBit’s new website claims that Operation Cronos, the international police action against the hackers, was launched due to documents the organized crime outfit obtained about the Fulton County trial of former President Donald Trump.

Bannon Rallies CPAC for ‘Crusade of Righteousness’ to Elect ‘Dissident’ Trump in ‘Greatest Political Comeback in American History’

February 26, 2024 Tom Pappert

War Room host Steve Bannon rallied Republicans at the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday to vote for former President Donald Trump in November to accomplish what called the “greatest political comeback in American history.”

Wife of Illegal Immigrant Who Allegedly Killed Student on UGA Campus Admits They Married to ‘Join Our Asylum Cases’

February 26, 2024February 25, 2024 Tom Pappert

The wife of Jose Antonio Ibarra, the 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela who police arrested Friday for the murder of nursing student Laken Riley, 22, at the University of Georgia (UGA) campus, revealed in a Saturday interview that the couple originally married with the goal of furthering their cases for asylum in the United States.

Layling Franco told the New York Post on Saturday that she and Jose Ibarra entered the United States illegally through El Paso with her five-year-old son on September 8, 2022. Franco said the alleged killer made money by delivering food for Uber Eats, DoorDash and a local restaurant.

Phone Data Reportedly Contradicts Testimony in Fani Willis Hearing, Suggests She Dated Nathan Wade Months Earlier than Claimed

February 24, 2024February 23, 2024 Tom Pappert

An affidavit by former President Donald Trump, entered into the Georgia election case against him, claims that cell phone data proves Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade spent nights together as early as September 2021, suggesting their relationship began months earlier than Willis and Wade claimed in court.

The data would also directly contradict testimony by Wade during the hearing to determine if Willis should be disqualified from the Georgia election case against Trump due to their relationship. Wade has earned more than $650,000 since Willis appointed him, and the couple shared luxurious vacations he purchased using his company credit card.

Poll Finds Nearly Half of Americans Want Fani Willis Removed from Trump Election Case in Georgia

February 23, 2024February 22, 2024 Tom Pappert

A poll of U.S. voters released on Thursday found just under half of American voters want Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to be disqualified from prosecuting her election case against former President Donald Trump in Georgia.

The Rasmussen poll, conducted after Willis testified on in the hearing to determine whether she should be removed from the case against Trump, determined that 48 percent of likely U.S. voters say there is significant evidence indicating Willis should be disqualified. The pollsters found that just 39 percent said Willis should remain on the case, while 13 percent were unsure.

Trump Maintains Lead over Biden in Georgia Poll Conducted as DA Fani Willis Testified

February 22, 2024February 21, 2024 Tom Pappert

Former President Donald Trump maintains an 8-point lead over President Joe Biden in a new poll of Georgia voters that was conducted as Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis testified in a hearing to determine whether she should be disqualified from her prosecution of the former president.

The Emerson College pollsters found 48 percent of Georgia voters support Trump, and 42 percent support Biden, giving the former president an 8-point lead of the incumbent. Biden was declared the winner in Georgia during the 2020 elections with a margin of less than 12,000 votes.

DOJ Announces ‘Disruption’ of Hacking Group That Targeted Fulton County, Georgia

February 21, 2024February 20, 2024 Tom Pappert

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday announced the “disruption” of a Russia-based hacking and ransomware group that targeted Fulton County last month as the result of a joint operation that involved both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and “international law enforcement partners in London” to seize the group’s infrastructure.

In its press release, the DOJ announced “the disruption of the LockBit ransomware group, one of the most active ransomware groups in the world,” which came as the result of “seizing numerous public-facing websites used by LockBit to connect to the organization’s infrastructure and seizing control of servers used by LockBit administrators.”

Fani Willis Took Over $8,500 from First Campaign as ‘Repayment’ for Loans Missing Paperwork, Submitted Without Date and Signature

February 19, 2024February 19, 2024 Tom Pappert

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis claimed during her Thursday testimony at the hearing to disqualify her from the Georgia election case against former President Donald Trump that she took a significant amount of cash from her first election and used it to replenish her physical cash reserves. Willis claimed to use the physical cash to repay her former lover, special prosecutor Nathan Wade, for luxurious vacations.

Willis made the claim about keeping “some of the cash” from her first campaign when asked about the origin of her cash savings. The district attorney claimed she has been saving physical cash “all my life,” and gave as an example, “When I took out a large amount of money on my first campaign, I kept some of the cash of that.”

Charting the ‘Cash Stash’ District Attorney Fani Willis Claims She Used to Repay Nathan Wade for Luxurious Vacations

February 18, 2024February 18, 2024 Tom Pappert

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis testified on Thursday that she keeps cash reserves in her residence, and that she used those reserves to repay her former lover, special prosecutor Nathan Wade, for the luxurious vacations he paid for using his business credit card.

An estimate of Willis’ cash savings since 2018, when she admitted to being “broke” as the result of a fierce primary campaign, suggests that Willis could have paid Wade in cash while increasing her reserves through cash back during shopping trips, as she implied.

Father of Fani Willis Testifies He ‘Trained’ Daughter to ‘Always Have Some Money’ After She Claimed to Repay Nathan Wade in Cash

February 16, 2024 Tom Pappert

Friday marked the second day of the disqualification hearing, seeking the dismissal of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis over her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she had appointed to oversee the case against former President Donald Trump.

Fani Willis Claims She Repaid Nathan Wade for Luxurious Vacations in Undocumented Cash Transactions

February 15, 2024February 15, 2024 Tom Pappert

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade both testified Thursday in the first day of proceedings to determine if she should be removed from the prosecution due to their previously undisclosed romantic relationship.

VoterGA’s Garland Favorito Recaps Case Claiming Georgia Election Equipment ‘Constitutionally Deficient’ After Trial Concludes

February 15, 2024February 14, 2024 Tom Pappert

Garland Favorito of Georgia election integrity group, Voter GA, held a press conference last week to urge Ninth District Court Judge Amy Totenberg to side with the plaintiffs in Curling v. Raffensperger and declare the ballot imaging devices (BMDs) used in Georgia “constitutionally deficient.”

“The last month or so has been very intense; it’s been 24/7 days for most of the attorneys and staff,” Favorito began before turning to a discussion over the closing arguments made by plaintiff Ricardo Davis in the six-year-old lawsuit.

Gov. Brian Kemp Pledges Additional Georgia National Guard to Texas After State Senate Condemns Biden Border Failures

February 14, 2024February 13, 2024 Tom Pappert

Governor Brian Kem said up to 20 additional Georgia National Guard members will support Texas Governor Gregg Abbott in his efforts to secure the state’s southern border in his standoff with the Biden administration.

In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Kemp pledged 15 to 20 additional Georgia National Guard troops to assist with constructing a command post at the border.

Judge Warns Fani Willis Could Face ‘Disqualification’ in Trump Case Due to Nathan Wade Relationship

February 12, 2024February 12, 2024 Tom Pappert

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee warned on Monday that District Attorney Fani Willis could face “disqualification” from prosecuting her case against former President Donald Trump as a result of her admitted relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who she appointed to oversee the case.

CJ Pearson Will Seek Impeachment of Fani Willis Due to ‘Clear Impropriety’ with Nathan Wade if Elected to Georgia State House

February 12, 2024 Tom Pappert

C.J. Pearson, who is on the ballot Tuesday for the special election in 125th District to fill a recently-vacated seat in Georgia’s State House, told The Georgia Star News about his “incredible journey” that began as a preteen political commentator nearly a decade ago and may have landed him within days of officially entering politics as an elected official.

Pearson, who has faced intense criticism from parties connected to Governor Brian Kemp that he previously characterized as “rogue,” answered his critics, told Star News what his priorities will be if elected, and promised to leverage his potential status as the youngest black politician to help Georgia Republicans achieve new heights if elected.

Georgia State Sen. Bill Cowsert Promises Nonpartisan Investigation of DA Fani Willis to Determine Possible Misuse of Taxpayer Funds with Nathan Wade

February 12, 2024 Tom Pappert

The Georgia Senate Special Committee on Investigations met for the first time on Friday since it was created following the adoption of SR 465, which allowed for the formation of the Senate committee to investigate the allegations surrounding embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

The committee is chaired by Senator Bill Cowsert (R-Athena), who promised that the Senate’s work will not seek to undermine any of Willis’ ongoing criminal cases, including her election case against former President Donald Trump. However, Cowsert suggested future funding for district attorneys could depend on the investigation’s findings.

Joe Biden Mocked Mercilessly for Mumbling, Bumbling ‘Shrinkflation’ Video Released on Super Bowl Sunday

February 11, 2024 Tom Pappert

President Joe Biden was mocked by conservatives on Sunday for a video he released ahead of the Super Bowl which derided “shrinkflation,” when manufacturers lower the size or quantity of items included for a given price without informing the consumer as a result of inflation, with pundits uniformly reminding the embattled president that his inflationary policies preceded the shrinkflation.

Georgia House Unanimously Passes Bill to Accelerate State Income Tax Cuts

February 9, 2024February 8, 2024 Tom Pappert

The Georgia State House on Thursday voted unanimously to pass a bill that will accelerate the tax cuts previously passed by the Georgia General Assembly in 2022 alongside bills aimed at lowering property taxes and increasing child tax credits.

HB 1015 will reduce the Georgia state income tax rate to 5.39 percent, effective retroactively to January 1, amending previous legislation that established a flat income tax in Georgia that would be set at 5.49 percent in 2024. Active legislation mandates the income tax rate be decreased by 10 basis points annually until it reaches 4.99 percent, which could be achieved in 2028 if the bill becomes law.

Georgia Senate Passes Bill to Allow State Commission to Investigate Prosecutors, Including Fani Willis

February 8, 2024February 7, 2024 Tom Pappert

The Georgia State Senate passed a bill on Tuesday that will strike the need for the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission (PAQC) to have its rules reviewed and approved by the Georgia Supreme Court, which would allow it to immediately begin investigating prosecutors, including embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Introduced by Senator Randy Robertson (R-Cataula) in early January, SB 332 would amend the 2022 law establishing the PAQC to strike the requirement for the commission to have its standards and rules reviewed and adopted by the Georgia Supreme Court. It now goes to the Georgia House, and if passed, would become law as soon as it is signed by Governor Brian Kemp.

Fani Willis Allegedly ‘Stonewalling’ Defense Team, Refused Open Records Requests for Invoices, Contracts, Account of Vacation Time

February 2, 2024February 1, 2024 Tom Pappert

The Merchant Law Firm, which represents defendant Michael Roman, launched a lawsuit on Monday claiming Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, through her office, is “stonewalling” their defense team by refusing to comply with public records requests for invoices from special prosecutor Nathan Wade, contracts for other contracted prosecutors in her office, and an account of her vacation time.

Roman is a defendant in Willis’ case against former President Donald Trump, and the law firm behind the lawsuit claims Willis’ office continues to slow-walk the release of information that was originally requested by his attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, on September 1.

Fani Willis Fired Whistleblower Who Warned of Misuse of Federal Funds Shortly Before Paying Alleged Boyfriend Nathan Wade

February 1, 2024January 31, 2024 Tom Pappert

Audio emerged on Wednesday of a conversation between embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Amanda Timpson, a former subordinate who claims she blew the whistle to Willis about an alleged plan to misuse federal funding by a former member of her campaign who Willis retained as part of her team after taking office.

Timpson recorded the audio on November 21, 2021, according to The Washington Free Beacon, which originally unearthed the clip. This means Willis and Timpson spoke about alleged wrongdoing in at the Fulton County District Attorney’s office just under three weeks after Willis hired her alleged romantic partner, private defense attorney Nathan Wade, to oversee the criminal case against former President Donald Trump.

Georgia Bill Seeks to Ban AI Deepfakes in Elections, Make Releasing Them a Felony Crime

January 31, 2024January 30, 2024 Tom Pappert

A bill was filed last week that could see “deepfake” audio and images, including those created using artificial intelligence (AI) technology, made a felony in Georgia if they are used in the context of an election.

Georgia State Senator John Albers (R-Alpharetta) filed SB 392, which, according to its summary, would make it a criminal offense to use deepfake technology to interfere with an election.

Georgia State House Candidate C.J. Pearson Blasts ‘Rogue Operation’ to Smear Him by ‘Atlanta Political Establishment’

January 30, 2024 Tom Pappert

C.J. Pearson, who is running in the February 13 special election to fill the seat in the Georgia State House vacated when former Representative Barry Fleming accepted an appointment to a judgeship by Governor Brian Kemp, told The Georgia Star News the political attacks about him are due to his strident conservatism.

Political operatives and organizations connected to Kemp are reportedly “taking aim” at Pearson with political advertisements claiming his previous work for Prager University and prior support for Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in 2016, when Pearson was himself just 13-years-old, are proof he does not share Georgia’s values.

Republicans in Georgia State Senate Want to Expand RICO Law Used Against President Trump, Rapper Young Thug, ‘Stop Cop City’ Protesters

January 29, 2024 Tom Pappert

A total of 10 Republicans in the Georgia State Senate are now sponsors of SB 359, originally filed by State Senator John Albers (R-Alpharetta), which would expand Georgia’s Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act to allow misdemeanor crimes to be included in RICO cases.

The bill would also allow enhanced sentences to be considered in RICO cases based on a defendant’s political affiliations or beliefs.

Fani Willis Reportedly Accused Trump’s Lawyer of Racism in Email Chain over Discovery Documents

January 26, 2024January 25, 2024 Tom Pappert

A report containing emails from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, sent two days after she was accused in a court filing of engaging in an inappropriate relationship with the special prosecutor she appointed to investigate former President Donald Trump, reveal she made allegations of racism against Trump’s attorney, Steve Sadow.

On January 8, Willis was accused of engaging in a romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who she appointed to oversee her case against former President Donald Trump, in a court filing by Michael Roman, who is a co-defendant in the Georgia election case against Trump.

Gov. Brian Kemp Prefers Changing Law Stalled by Georgia Supreme Court over Senate Investigation into Fani Willis, Nathan Wade

January 25, 2024January 24, 2024 Tom Pappert

Governor Brian Kemp said on Tuesday that he would prefer Georgia lawmakers make changes to the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission (PAQC) rather than pursue the effort by Republicans in the Georgia Senate to form a new investigative committee to explore allegations Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is engaged in a romantic affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

Not only was Willis recently accused of engaging in the inappropriate relationship, it was also alleged by one of the defendants in her election case against former President Donald Trump that she financially benefited from Wade’s appointment through her participation in luxurious vacations paid for by Wade.

Fulton County Commissioner Demands Answers from Fani Willis over Alleged Affair as Georgia State Senator Files Legislation to Investigate

January 24, 2024January 23, 2024 Tom Pappert

Fulton County Commissioner Bob Ellis, in his capacity as the chair of the Fulton County Audit Committee, sent a letter on Monday demanding answers from District Attorney Fani Willis over her alleged affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, who she appointed to prosecute her case against former President Donald Trump and has compensated more than $650,000 in taxpayer dollars.

Ellis wrote in his letter to Willis that he “must reasonably inquire” about the allegations she “misused county funds and accepted valuable gifts and personal benefits from a contractor/recipient of County funds.”

Georgia Republican Party Leadership Challenge Rumors Unfounded: Party Officials

January 23, 2024 Tom Pappert

Three Georgia Republican Party (GAGOP) officials confirmed to The Georgia Star News on Monday that rumors of a forthcoming leadership challenge against two of the party’s top officials were unfounded and no leadership challenge was mounted at the Saturday GAGOP State Committee meeting on St. Simons Island.

In an email reviewed by The Star, Cross cited an editorial from the owner of a Georgia radio station, which claimed a scheme to remove both 1st Vice Chairman Brian Pritchard and 2nd Vice Chairman David Cross from their party positions was scheduled to take place at the Saturday meeting.

Fani Willis Pledged Not ‘To Date People That Work’ Under Her in Resurfaced 2020 Campaign Interview

January 21, 2024January 20, 2024 Tom Pappert

A video resurfaced on Friday showing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis pledging she will not “date people that work” under her if elected to her current position.

The clip of Willis was filmed during her April 6, 2020, appearance on the Atlanta-area public access program “People TV” as she campaigned to become Fulton County’s top prosecutor.

Credit Card Statements from Nathan Wade’s Estranged Wife Purportedly Prove Fani Willis Vacationed, Took Cruises with Special Prosecutor

January 20, 2024January 19, 2024 Tom Pappert

A new legal filing claims to contain proof that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she appointed to oversee her case against former President Donald Trump, are engaged in a romantic relationship. Containing financial statements showing he purchased plane tickets for Willis, the filing was made by the special prosecutor’s estranged wife, Jocelyn Wade, in response to Willis’ filing, which claimed she was attempting to “embarrass” and “harass” her by including Willis in the divorce proceedings.

The filing in the divorce case reveals he was previously held in contempt of court for refusing to comply with discovery obligations in the case, despite himself initiating the divorce. When Nathan Wade eventually supplied “a portion of his outstanding required discovery responses” on December 22, 2023, his estranged wife’s legal team received “credit card statements which demonstrated that [Wade] had paid for and taken trips unrelated to his work with the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office.”

Georgia Agricultural Commissioner Asks Congress to Block Biden’s Pay Raise for Foreign Farm Workers

January 19, 2024January 18, 2024 Tom Pappert

Georgia Agricultural Commissioner Tyler Harper released on Tuesday a letter he wrote to Georgia’s congressional delegation last month which urged them to pause the proposed wage increase for foreign farm labor, warning the raise would add millions in new labor costs for family-owned Georgia farms.

A press release revealed Harper warned in his letter that “the Biden administration’s proposed H-2A Program Adverse Effects Wage Rate increase for 2024” will “add an estimated $50 million to Georgia producer’s on-farm labor costs” over the year, and the “arbitrary increase” would come as farmers already face “sky-high input costs and inflation.”

Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones Announces Bill Banning Ranked Choice Voting

January 18, 2024January 17, 2024 Tom Pappert

Georgia Lieutenant Gov. Burt Jones (R) and State Senator Randy Robertson (R-Cataula) introduced SB 355 on Tuesday to ban ranked choice voting in the state.

Jones said in a statement that ranked choice voting “is designed to cause confusion and fatigue among voters.” Allegedly “pushed by dark money groups,” Jones added it “could cause a drastic increase in the number of ballots being thrown out, disenfranchising Georgia voters.”

Trump Leads Biden by 8 Points in First Georgia Poll Released Since Fani Willis Allegations

January 16, 2024January 16, 2024 Tom Pappert

Former President Donald Trump has a commanding lead over President Joe Biden in Georgia, according to the results of the first poll of Peach State voters since it was alleged that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is romantically entangled with Nathan Wade, who she appointed to prosecute her case against Trump.

Trump ‘Can’t Imagine They Go Forward’ with Georgia Election Case After Fani Willis, Nathan Wade Relationship Allegations

January 15, 2024January 15, 2024 Tom Pappert

During a Sunday rally in Iowa, former President Donald Trump said he “can’t imagine” the Georgia election case against him moving forward amid the allegations that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is romantically linked with Nathan Wade, who she appointed as special prosecutor and paid more than $650,000 in taxpayer money.

Attorney Says She Has Witnesses Ready to Testify They Saw Alleged Lovebirds Fulton County DA Fani Willis and Subordinate Nathan Wade

January 14, 2024January 14, 2024 Tom Pappert

Multiple witnesses are reportedly willing to testify to the existence of an inappropriate romantic relationship between Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and Nathan Wade, the private defense attorney she hired for her case against former President Donald Trump, according to Sunday remarks by the lawyer who first raised the allegation in a legal filing last week.

Fani Willis Delivers ‘Letter to God’ from Pulpit of Baptist Church on Sunday, Defends Hiring of Nathan Wade and Suggests Critics Motivated by Racism

January 14, 2024January 14, 2024 Tom Pappert

Embattled Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis delivered what she called a “letter to God” on Sunday at Big Bethel Baptist Church in downtown Atlanta.

Georgia GOP Chair Josh McKoon Wants Trump Case ‘Halted’ over Alleged Relationship Between Fani Willis, Nathan Wade

January 13, 2024January 12, 2024 Tom Pappert

Georgia Republican Party (GAGOP) Chair Josh McKoon called on Tuesday for the Fulton County case against former President Donald Trump to be “halted” following the allegation that District Attorney Fani Willis (D), who filed racketeering charges against Trump and his co-defendants, is engaged in an inappropriate romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

McKoon said in a press release that he was “shocked” by the allegation “Willis and wade were allegedly engaged in a romantic relationship before and after” Willis contracted Wade to “prosecute Republicans, richly rewarding him with nearly a million dollars of Fulton County taxpayer money so far.”

Criminal Referral Filed Against DA Fani Willis, Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade over Alleged Romantic Relationship

January 12, 2024January 11, 2024 Tom Pappert

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14) filed a criminal referral on Wednesday against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) over her alleged romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade.

The criminal referral was sent to Governor Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr, and cites the recent filing by Michael Roman, who is a defendant in the Willis’ election case against former President Donald Trump.

Lawyer Hired by Fani Willis to Prosecute Trump Case Met With Biden White House Twice, Possibly Collaborated with January 6 Committee

January 11, 2024January 10, 2024 Tom Pappert

Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor hired by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) who is also alleged to be her romantic partner, reported in invoices submitted to Willis’ office that he met with representatives from the Biden administration twice. The filing also reveals Wade visited Washington, D.C. a third time for unclear, work-related purposes, and may have conferenced with the January 6 Committee in the U.S. House during a separate work-related trip in Georgia.

Defendant Michael Roman, who is among those indicted by Willis in her election case against former President Donald Trump, alleged in a Monday court filing that Willis is engaged in an inappropriate romantic relationship with Wade, who Fulton County taxpayers have compensated nearly $654,000.

Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade, Alleged Lover of Fani Willis, Paid at Least $650,000 to Prosecute Trump in Georgia Election Case

January 10, 2024January 9, 2024 Tom Pappert

A Monday filing by attorney Michael Roman, who is a defendant in the Georgia racketeering case against former President Donald Trump, claims that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) is engaged in an inappropriate romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, the private defense attorney she appointed to prosecute her case against the former president. Roman alleged in the filing that Wade was paid nearly $1 million by Georgia taxpayers, and The Georgia Star News confirmed he has earned over $650,000 while working on the case against Trump.

Roman made his allegations in a motion to dismiss the case against him, arguing the alleged romantic relationship between Willis and Wade made the indictments improper, as the relationship would violate professional ethics rules for attorneys in Georgia and may have violated federal law by failing to make the relationship public. It also calls on Willis to be barred from prosecuting her case against Trump as a consequence of the improper alleged relationship.

Trump Files Motions to Dismiss Georgia Election Case Citing Presidential Immunity, Double Jeopardy, Prior Election Contests

January 9, 2024January 9, 2024 Tom Pappert

Former President Donald Trump made three new legal filings in Georgia on Monday, each requesting on different grounds for Fulton County Superior Court Judge to dismiss the case brought against him by District Attorney Fani Willis (D). In the filings, Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow cites alleged due process and double jeopardy violations, as well as presidential immunity granted by the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

“From 1789 to 2023, no President ever faced criminal prosecution for acts committed while in office,” Trump’s attorney Steve Sadow notes in his 67-page filing requesting the case be dismissed by Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee due to presidential immunity. “The indictment in this case charges President Trump for acts that lie at the heart of his official responsibilities as President. The indictment is barred by presidential immunity and should be dismissed with prejudice.”

Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade, Alleged Lover of Fani Willis, Paid over $650,000 to Prosecute Trump in Georgia Election Case

January 9, 2024 Tom Pappert

Georgia Republicans Who Killed School Choice Legislation in 2023 May Stop Reforms Again

January 8, 2024 Tom Pappert

A group of Republicans in the Georgia State House who were responsible to killing a 2023 effort to increase school choice in the state will reportedly work to stymie the education reforms again in 2024, according to a Friday report.

In 2023, Republicans in the Georgia Senate successfully passed Senate Bill 233, which would have granted state funded vouchers of up to $6,500 for students in the bottom 25 percent of the state’s schools. The funding would have been removed from public schools at the same time, which rural Republicans claimed was unfair to students that did not leave the struggling schools.

Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones Slams ‘Ridiculous Political Attack’ After Judge Tosses Effort to Remove Him from Office over 2020 Election Contest

January 6, 2024January 5, 2024 Tom Pappert

Superior Court Judge Thomas Wilson tossed an effort to remove Georgia Lt. Governor Burt Jones (R) from office on Friday. Jones told The Georgia Star News in a statement that he was happy to put the “ridiculous political attack” behind him.

The lawsuit was launched by a group that argued Jones “is an insurrectionist against the Constitution of the United States of America” due to his role as an alternative elector, which his lawyer argued in court was to preserve former President Donald Trump’s legal challenge of the election results in 2020.

Atlanta Saw Less Violent Crime in 2023, but Vehicle Thefts and Shoplifting Skyrocketed

January 5, 2024January 4, 2024 Tom Pappert

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Police Chief Darin Schierbaum held a joint press conference on Thursday to detail what they identified as a downward trend in crime within the city, but preliminary numbers published by the Atlanta Police Department (APD) in December 2023 reveal that not all types of crime are declining.

Dickens said during the press conference that the “major crime against people” was “down more than 15 percent,” with homicides down about 20 percent and rapes down about 50 percent since 2022.

Mark Meadows Hires New Lawyers, Asks Appeals Court for Second Hearing to Move Georgia Election Case to Federal Court

January 4, 2024January 3, 2024 Tom Pappert

Former Trump administration White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows made a new filing with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday evening, requesting an en banc hearing for his appeal of a lower court’s decision denying his request to have the election case against him in Fulton County, Georgia removed to a federal court. Meadows also retained new legal counsel for his attempt to have the entire circuit court hear his appeal.

Following the decision by a panel of judges on the 11th Circuit to deny Meadows’ appeal in December, his attorneys argued in the new filing that its ruling fails to conform with Supreme Court precedent and “consideration by the full court is necessary to secure and maintain uniformity of decisions in this court.”

Atlanta Road to Remain Closed Up to 10 Weeks After Possible Homeless Fire Under Cheshire Bridge

January 3, 2024January 2, 2024 Tom Pappert

A section of the Cheshire Bridge Road will remain closed to traffic for up to 10 weeks after a fire that may have started in a homeless encampment under the bridge, an Atlanta City Council member confirmed in a December 29 newsletter to his constituents.

Atlanta City Councilmember Alex Wan told his constituents in his newsletter that the bridge is slated to be repaired, all at once, over a period that may take up to 10 weeks. Wan explained, “it has been determined that it is better long term to complete the entire rehab work at once” rather than partially opening the bridge to accommodate some traffic while repairs are finished.