'How do you square that?' CNN host pushes back on GOP Fani Willis investigator
As the Georgia judge overseeing Trump's RICO election interference case decides whether to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her office for alleged misconduct tied to a romance with her hired special prosecutor Nathan Wade— a state Senate committee held a nearly four-hour hearing to determine if there was any wrongdoing.
Sen. Bill Cowsert appeared on CNN's "Out Front" to reflect on a hearing that lasted several hours quizzing defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant, who is representing former President Donald Trump co-defendant Michael Roman.
"We need to find out what behavior took place and we wanted to fresh slate to look at the evidence independently and determine were state laws violated and are there adequate laws to prevent this type of unethical behavior by prosecutors were trying to restore the faith of our public in the fairness and impartiality of the criminal justice system," he said. "And there are a lot of very really outlandish claims here and very few of them have been rebutted or denied and it's very troubling."
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The committee lacks any disqualifying powers but has an interest to determine if any laws were broken related to state funds or personal gain and possibly need change them based on their findings.
Willis is accused of carrying on an “improper, clandestine personal relationship” with Wade, whom she hired to help prosecute the 45th president and 18 others.
Erin Burnett asked Cowster about Willis' attempt to hire other attorneys for the job — including Former Georgia Gov. Roy — who turned her down.
"I mean how do you square that?"
Cowster answered, "She did hire two other people and they have expertise in RICO cases and these type of investigations, and they were paid significantly less," he said. "Neither of them received over $100,000.
"This gentleman was getting $35,000 a month. He's over $700,000 now that he's been paid by her office, and she approves those invoices and they were very sketchy invoices today."
He claimed that in one of his fees, Wade "billed for 24 hours" and Willis "approved that."
For Cowster, that is all "part of the factual pattern that I don't believe anybody can deny here."
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