# The Fani Willis affair **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 25, 2024, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fani-willis-affair/998067 "2024-02-25T17:16:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fani-willis-affair/998067/41 "2024-02-26T18:51:46Z")
> [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](#): > > Not that I think any of these arguments are sincere or particularly strong. Yeah, the fact that he seems imminently qualified and is making less than he was making prior to this employment makes all of those arguments nonsense. Rather, a conflict of interest would be if she insisted he quit the case, losing them a solid prosecutor, so that he could make more money elsewhere and could take her on better vacations. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fani-willis-affair/998067/42 "2024-02-26T20:08:12Z")
The only thing about this situation that even comes close to not smelling right is that he was her subordinate while they dated. (not a good leadership position). But not really pertinent to the Trump case, IMHO. My understanding is that there is no longer any ongoing romantic relationship. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fani-willis-affair/998067/43 "2024-02-26T20:20:18Z")
I made mention in another Trump legal case thread … Trump can only win or tie, particularly because he’s – so far – gambling with other people’s money. Willis and Wade probably have a good case and a strong strategy. If they get tossed from the case – aside from inevitable delays – do they get somebody _better_ than W&W to prosecute? If you’re Trump, you have nothing to lost by fighting every single fight, meritorious or not. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fani-willis-affair/998067/44 "2024-02-26T20:50:24Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > If you’re Trump, you have nothing to lost by fighting every single fight, meritorious or not. Only on the assumption (I know) that he’s not going to pay his lawyers. If he had to write a check to them every week for what he owed and they refused to work on his case if he’s past due, I think this would all move a lot faster. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fani-willis-affair/998067/45 "2024-02-26T23:24:11Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Are you saying I should have an obligation to defend Trump if I didn’t want to? Oh Hell no. > > [If Trump couldn’t find any lawyer for his criminal case, the court should appoint one. If they appointed me, I’d do my job.] Your question goes a bit beyond the thread, and I might reconsider if I learned more. Regarding a theoretical obligation to prosecute Trump, it sounds like there are only [a couple lawyers](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fani-willis-trump-2020-election-case-prosecutor-nathan-wade/) truly experienced in complex Georgia RICO prosecutions. When they got the call from Willis, I know that isn’t what you mean by court-appointed. But to a layman, it is close, and they should have had a better reason, before refusing, than reported in the media. This isn’t a personal internet slam on the two lawyers mentioned in my link, as they were apparently playing by current rules when they refused to take the case, putting Willis in the less than ideal position of asking a friend. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2024, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fani-willis-affair/998067/46 "2024-03-16T00:54:54Z")
A ruling came out, and overall it says, Willis can stay but then Wade has to go, nothing actually illegal came out, but damn, people, appearances! [What to know about judge’s ruling allowing Fani Willis to stay on Trump’s Georgia election case (msn.com)](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/what-to-know-about-judges-ruling-allowing-fani-willis-to-stay-on-trumps-georgia-election-case/ar-BB1jYHMZ) > Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled Friday that Willis could stay if special prosecutor Nathan Wade left. That was a partial victory for Willis, whom defense attorneys had pushed to have removed from the case over her relationship Wade. > > But the judge also rebuked Willis for her “tremendous” lapse in judgment and questioned the truthfulness of Wade’s and her testimony about the timing of their relationship. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2024, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fani-willis-affair/998067/47 "2024-03-16T01:15:20Z")
Q for attorneys: in any other trial, if the defense tried to stall by making an issue of the DA’s private life, how far would it get? Do judges ever just dismiss it outright, or do they (to a certain extent) have to take it seriously? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2024, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fani-willis-affair/998067/48 "2024-03-16T16:02:11Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Q for attorneys: in any other trial, if the defense tried to stall by making an issue of the DA’s private life, how far would it get? It seems like there is something in Georgia law that made this an issue no one would expect. I’ve never heard of such a thing, and I knew of a lot of prosecutors who were in relationships with each other, or cops, or who knows. But I’m hoping this isn’t a delay thing. The time before trial is supposed to be for hearings and motions and such, so this little detour didn’t necessarily delay anything. ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2025, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fani-willis-affair/998067/49 "2025-03-10T20:59:44Z")
that’s why I don’t understand the "conflict of interest’/ if he was working for Trump, of course. But they’re on same team? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-fani-willis-affair/998067.md?page=2)