OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
The Fulton County, Georgia, judge presiding over District Attorney Fani Willis’ case against former President Donald Trump and more than a dozen co-defendants has dismissed some of the charges against all of them after ruling the state failed to provide sufficient justification for them.
Judge Scott McAfee quashed six counts against Trump and his 18 co-defendants, reports said on Wednesday, writing that there is not sufficient evidence of “solicitation of violation of oath by public officer.”
“The Court’s concern is less that the state has failed to allege sufficient conduct of the Defendants — in fact it has alleged an abundance. However, the lack of detail concerning an essential legal element is, in the undersigned opinion, fatal,” McAfee wrote, according to Fox News.
“As written, these six counts contain all the essential elements of the crimes but fail to allege sufficient detail regarding the nature of their commission, i.e., the underlying felony solicited,” he added.
Meanwhile, Willis will learn whether she will be disqualified from the election interference case within a couple of weeks, according to a new report.
The announcement came after McAfee heard closing arguments from several lawyers involved in the racketeering case against former President Donald Trump and others.
“The decision will come down to whether the judge believes Willis had a financial incentive to hire special prosecutor Nathan Wade for the case. Willis and Wade admitted to a romantic relationship, but the timeframe of that relationship was the crux of the argument about whether the relationship was improper,” AOL reported.
Allegations have surfaced regarding Willis, who is leading one of the four criminal cases against former President Trump, suggesting that she engaged in an improper extramarital affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Critics contend that the relationship presents a conflict of interest, potentially compromising the case. Although Willis’ office denies any financial or professional impropriety, concerns have been raised that the affair undermines public confidence in the prosecution.
Also, a former attorney for the Trump administration has become the latest problem for Willis.
Attorney Courtney Kramer entered the race against Willis just hours before the official paperwork deadline closed on Friday. Kramer, an elections law attorney, is running as a Republican in traditionally deep-blue Fulton County. Pledging to prioritize crime reduction in the region, she has also been vocal in her opposition to Willis and her handling of the Trump prosecution, Newsweek reported Friday.
Since Richard Nixon’s victory in 1972, Fulton County voters haven’t chosen a Republican presidential candidate. In 2020, President Joe Biden secured over 72 percent of the vote in the county, which spans the heart of metro Atlanta. Similarly, in 2016, Hillary Clinton won with nearly 68 percent of the vote, the outlet continued.
“As a lawyer myself, it’s disgusting to see her not follow her rules of professional conduct or take her oath of office seriously,” Kramer, who previously interned at the Office of White House Counsel during the Trump administration, told Real America’s Voice on Monday. “It’s a disgrace to the legal community.”
Kramer has previously suggested that if it’s found that Willis lied on disclosure forms, the alleged misconduct could escalate beyond an ethics violation. Speaking to The Daily Caller in January, she said there’s a “potential for criminal liability.”
Last week, former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, an attorney herself, said she believes that Willis perjured herself when she testified about her relationship with Wade.
Kelly also spoke about Willis’ testimony and possible penalties if she is found to have committed perjury.
“At the heart of it all: A man named Terrence Bradley. He’s the one-time law partner, divorce attorney, and friend of special prosecutor Nathan Wade. He did not want to be there… And he made that abundantly clear… As he obfuscated… and did a whole lot of… not recalling things… It was downright uncomfortable. I believe he lied repeatedly. That’s my opinion about his faulty memory,” Kelly said.
