Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens defends Fulton County DA Fani Willis on CNN
Fulton County DA Fani Willis and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (Getty Images)
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens voiced his support for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis during an appearance on Monday on CNN's OutFront.
Willis and Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade were accused in a motion filed by former President Donald Trump co-defendant Michael Roman in January of having an affair and benefiting from the investigation into Trump and others for interfering in the 2020 Georgia election.
The motion alleged that Willis and Wade were in a relationship prior to Wade being hired as a special prosecutor and that Wade spent thousands of dollars on Willis during trips that the two of them took together.
Judge Scott McAfee indicated in a hearing prior to the two-day hearing that he is open to the possibility that there may be a conflict of interest.
"I think it's clear that disqualification can occur if evidence is produced demonstrating an actual conflict or the appearance of one," Fulton County Superior Court Judge McAfee stated.
A two-day hearing began Feb. 15 in Judge McAfee's courtroom in Fulton County to determine if Willis and her office should be disqualified from the case.
Dickens makes appearance in court
Dickens made a brief appearance on the second day of the hearing. He sat next to former Atlanta mayor Shirley Franklin and members of his administration while former Gov. Roy Barnes was on the stand.
RELATED: Fulton County DA Fani Willis hearing | Day 2
"I had to go to the courtroom the second day to just lay eyes on her and let her see me and for her to know that she’s got supportive, compassionate leaders in the audience. You know, when you’re going through something like this, you don’t want to be made to feel alone," Dickens said during the interview.
Dickens pointed out that Willis is not on trial during the OutFront interview and that the trial is about former President Donald Trump and his attempt to steal an election. Dickens called controversy surrounding Willis is a "distraction" and something that Trump does when he is in trouble.
Dickens, who is a Democrat like Willis, says we need to focus on who is on trial for criminal acts against the United States. Dickens also called Trump a "bipartisan predator" who will sling mud on anyone he can.
Dickens pointed out that Willis has been extremely helpful in focusing on making sure violent criminals are arrested and dealt with in the city of Atlanta.
"Together with the Atlanta Police Department, D.A. Fani Willis, the GBI, FBI, and others, we have had the third-highest drop in violent crime across the nation—a 21% reduction in homicides," Dickens said, "So what I need a D.A. to do is to continue to focus on the cases before us in the city of Atlanta and in Fulton County."
What happened during the hearing
During the hearing, Wade and Willis insisted their relationship did not begin until 2022 and Willis either gave Wade cash for money he spent on her or she also paid for things for the two of them.
However, a former longtime friend of Willis told the court that she had no doubt that the relationship between Willis and Wade began in 2019, and Willis and Wade have been unable to offer any physical proof that Willis gave Wade any cash or paid for anything.
Timeline: Fulton County DA Fani Willis, Nathan Wade controversy
Roman's attorney said in court documents that Wade's former law partner, Terrence Bradley, would also testify as to when the relationship began, but when he appeared in court on day one of the hearing, Bradley was reluctant to do so, citing attorney-client privilege since he represented Wade at some point during his divorce case.
Bradley was called back to the stand on the second day of the hearing in an attempt to resolve the matter to no avail. Instead, the Fulton County attorney brought up a previous accusation of sexual assault against Bradley in an attempt to discredit his testimony. Ultimately, the judge said he would talk to Bradley in private to find out exactly what he knows and then decide if it is covered by attorney-client privilege.
What happens next
The lawyers for both sides are expected to be back in court either at the end of this week or next week for summation, where they will argue their case. Judge McAfee will then make a ruling on disqualification. However, it is not known how long that might take.
Willis has been pushing for a trial in August for Trump and the remaining co-defendants. Four of those indicted have already entered guilty pleas and accepted deals.
Although the relationship between Willis and Wade may have resulted in poor optics, it is not illegal. According to Georgia law, a prosecutor can only be disqualified from a case due to "conflict of interest" when the prosecutor's conflicting loyalties could prejudice the defendant leading to an improper conviction.
RELATED: Fulton County DA Fani Willis hearing: 'Just the beginning' of the drama, law professor says
Even if the judge dismisses the case, Trump and his co-defendants will most likely continue to bring it up in an effort to sow distrust.
Dickens recently announced his intention to seek re-election as mayor of Atlanta.