Tag: Ashleigh Merchant

Trump-Aligned Lawyer Who Exposed Fani Willis Affair and Stalled Georgia Election Case Says D.A. Caused Downfall: ‘She’s the One to Blame’

Tom Pappert
Ashleigh Merchant and Fani Willis in a courtroom (composite image)

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.

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Attorney Who Exposed Fani Willis, Nathan Wade Affair Expects Disqualification Appeal to Last Six Months, Will Not be Resolved Before Election

Tom Pappert
Atty Ashleigh Merchant and defendant Mike Roman

The attorney who revealed the affair between Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and former special prosecutor Nathan Wade predicted on Monday the latest appeal to disqualify the district attorney will take up to six months, likely eliminating the possibility of the Georgia election case against former President Donald Trump going to trial before November.

Attorney Ashleigh Merchant said during a Monday appearance on Fox & Friends that she does not see “any way” Willis could receive a final confirmation she will not be disqualified from the Trump case in Georgia before the November elections.

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Lawyer Who Unearthed Fani Willis Allegations Reveals Prosecutor Met With Kamala Harris in Georgia Senate Hearing

Tom Pappert
Fani Willis and Kamala Harris

The defense attorney who originally unearthed the revelation that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was romantically linked with special prosecutor Nathan Wade appeared before the Georgia State Senate on Wednesday to share her knowledge with a committee created to investigate Willis’ actions.

Merchant detailed how she learned of the relationship between Willis and Wade, who the district attorney appointed to prosecute the Georgia election case against former President Donald Trump, and explained she learned of a meeting between Willis and Vice President Kamala Harris during her investigation.

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Fulton County Policy Suggests Both DA Willis, Wade Were Required to Disclose Relationship

Just the News
Fani Willis Nathan Wade

A Fulton County policy regarding the disclosure of a romantic relationship with an employee may have applied to both District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade, yet they testified that they did not inform any county employees of their relationship, according to lawyers observing the case. 

A hearing was held on Thursday and Friday regarding Willis’ relationship with Wade and the resulting potential conflicts of interest regarding the case against former President Donald Trump. Willis last year indicted Trump and 18 co-defendants over his efforts to challenge the 2020 election results in Georgia. She had hired Wade as a special prosecutor to pursue the case.  

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Willis Won’t Testify Again in Hearing on Whether She Stays as D.A. in Trump Election Interference Case

Just the News
Fani Willis on the stand Feb 15, 2024

The second day of the hearing regarding Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade began on Friday with the remaining witnesses expected to testify, as Willis was not brought back to the witness stand.

The hearing started on Thursday, with Willis testifying as a defense witness that she didn’t know she was required to disclose her romantic relationship with Wade to the county. Willis was originally supposed to be cross-examined by her prosecution team on Friday, but the prosecution chose to not bring her back to testify.

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

Tom Pappert
Fani Willis

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.

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