Former Georgia governor Roy Barnes refused to be the special prosecutor in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willi’s election racketeering case against Donald Trump because he didn’t want to spend the rest of his life in mortal peril, he testified Friday.
Barnes, Willis’ first choice for special prosecutor, testified at an evidentiary hearing challenging Willis’ fitness to prosecute Trump on the grounds that her personal relationship with the attorney she ultimately hired, Nathan Wade.
Former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance noted Barnes' testimony provided important context undermining Trump’s co-defendants’ claim that Wade’s appointment was an illicit means to channel state funds into Willis’ pocket.
“This is an important point,” Vance wrote. “The suggestion has been made that Willis tried to hire several lawyers before she hired Wade. This may shed light in her favor on why he was hired and whether there's anything inappropriate about it.”
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Barnes’ testimony also made plain another reason why Willis’ options may have been limited.
“I’d lived with bodyguards for four years and I didn’t like it,” Barnes said. “I wasn’t gonna live with bodyguards for the rest of my life.”
It’s worth noting that prosecutors and judges in Trump’s civil and criminal court cases have faced violent threats as they challenge the former president in court.
Willis has said she was forced to move out of her home after she was targeted by threats.
