The Georgia election case against former President Donald Trump and those who helped him contest the 2020 election results in the Peach State is almost certain to remain ongoing on Election Day, and the attorney who first surfaced evidence Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was engaged in a romantic affair with her special counsel said on Sunday that Willis is “the one to blame” for the current state of the case.
Willis’ case against Trump is currently before the Georgia Court of Appeals, which will determine whether Judge Scott McAfee erred when he ruled that Willis’ relationship with Wade, a private defense attorney paid more than $650,000 for his work on the case, was not sufficient reason to disqualify her as the prosecutor in the case against the former president.
Merchant said during a Sunday appearance on “The Georgia Vote” on 11 Alive that neither she nor her client, former Trump White House opposition researcher Michael Roman, are responsible for the case likely continuing beyond the election, and instead said “Willis and her actions” are to blame.
“I think what caused the voters to not know what happened in this case is Ms. Willis and her actions,” said Merchant. “She is the one to blame, not me bringing to light those actions. They had a choice, they could have done it differently, and they chose to go this path.”
Willis and Wade both admitted to beginning a relationship after he was appointed to prosecute her case against Trump and his allies, but defendants raised allegations the lawyers began dating as early as 2019 as evidence Willis appointed Wade in a scheme to enrich herself.
Merchant, specifically, was the attorney who unearthed credit card records which revealed Wade financed luxury vacations he shared with Willis using his company credit card. Willis and Wade claimed he was reimbursed in unrecorded cash transactions.
“Those choices were made, we have to live with those choices, but those are definitely not my choice,” said Merchant.
The attorney also told the outlet that Willis’ case could have moved more quickly had she taken a different approach to the prosecution.
“If the defendants had been charged individually, or it had been a more narrow indictment like we see in the federal system, it would have moved through a lot easier,” said Merchant.
Merchant previously predicted the appeals process would take at least six months to begin, and then would be unlikely to conclude prior to Election Day in November.
That information has since been confirmed, as the Court of Appeals has scheduled its first over the potential disqualification of Willis for December 5.
In its first filing to the appeals court in this case, Willis’ office called McAfee’s decision to require the resignation of either Wade or Willis a “boon” to the defense, and urged the court to drop the matter.
Watch Merchant’s full remarks:
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Ashleigh Merchant” by The Merchant Law Firm. Photo “Fani Willis” by Fani T. Willis. Background Photo “Courtroom” by Breedstock.
