Trump using Fani Willis allegations as weapon to 'try this case in public': Ex-prosecutor
Newly emerged allegations about Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis hiring a pre-existing romantic partner to a special counsel position in the election conspiracy case against former President Donald Trump are unlikely to derail the case as a matter of procedural or technical merits, former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner told MSNBC's Chris Jansing on Monday — but that doesn't mean Trump won't try to use it as a weapon to confuse and misdirect the public.
This comes as Willis has finally spoken publicly on the matter, defending prosecutor Nathan Wade's qualifications and professionalism but neither confirming nor denying any romantic involvement with him or addressing concerns that they profited from his appointment.
"For a moment, let's assume they had a previous personal relationship, because I think that helps frame our discussion," said Kirschner. "It raises two questions. Will that have any impact on the legal proceedings in the enormous co-defendant case that's being prosecuted in Georgia? The answer is almost certainly no. It will have no impact on the legal proceedings. Will it have an impact in the court of public opinion? It certainly could."
As a legal matter, Kirschner continued, there really isn't much in the allegations that could actually suggest a conflict of interest, or that Wade was improperly hired into the position as a result of a prior relationship.
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"As is being reported, she hired multiple special counsels," he said. "They're all reportedly being paid the same. This gentleman that she hired, Nathan Wade, has prior experience as a defense attorney as, I believe, a municipal court judge. He obviously brings a certain skill set to the trial team, the prosecution team. And if they — hypothetically, they had a prior relationship — it really will not impact the legal proceedings because they're all kind of on the same team. There's no conflict."
On the other hand, he added, "In the court of public opinion, we can see Donald Trump potentially trying to exploit this, maybe even misrepresenting the nature of it. Why? Because his goal is always to try the case in the court of public opinion and undermine the public's confidence not only in the institutions, but in the outcome, in the event he ends up being held accountable and convicted at trial."
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