DA Fani Willis slammed as she moves to quash subpoenas against her and alleged lover in Trump RICO case

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has moved to defend herself in the ongoing racketeering (RICO) case involving former President Donald Trump and several others.

Willis has filed a motion to quash multiple subpoenas brought forth by a defendant, aiming to obtain a plethora of documents and testimony from various members of the District Attorney's Office. A comprehensive 36-page filing, along with an array of exhibits, was meticulously submitted to the Fulton County Superior Court on February 7.

Challenging the subpoenas

“The effort should be promptly brought to a close,” the motion to quash, obtained by Law&Crime, stated. “Georgia law — as well as authority from across the country — predictably frowns on a process that permits counsel for one litigant to compel the testimony of counsel and employees of the opposing party, and there is no justification to depart from that general principle here.”

The filing's timing is pivotal, preceding a highly anticipated hearing scheduled for February 15. The hearing is set to scrutinize allegations that Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade should be disqualified due to a conflict of interest stemming from alleged self-dealing and a romantic relationship.

These allegations were vehemently asserted by co-defendant Michael Roman, a staff member for Trump’s 2020 campaign.

Earlier this month, Willis and Wade acknowledged the existence of their relationship but staunchly denied any allegations of impropriety or wrongdoing.

“Instead, each of these subpoenas appear transparently to be an attempt to conduct discovery in a (rather belated) effort to support reckless accusations made in prior court filings,” the motion reads. “The subpoenas should be quashed.”

Willis contends that Roman's 11 subpoenas lack substance and appear to be thinly veiled attempts to salvage ground lost in prior legal skirmishes. Describing the subpoenas as a "spectacle," Willis emphasizes the dubious nature of summoning opposing counsel to testify, a tactic frowned upon by appellate courts.

“The practice is roundly — and rightly — disfavored,” asserts the DA’s office in their motion. “This case is no different.”

They argue that while deposing opposing counsel is not explicitly forbidden, courts typically uphold a stringent standard, reserving such actions for only the most exceptional circumstances where no alternative avenue for obtaining information exists.

“Courts consistently quash subpoenas served on opposing counsel in all but the rarest of circumstances,” the motion reads. “Any subpoena for testimony or documents directed to opposing counsel presents a rightfully high hurdle for any litigant to clear, and Defendant Roman cannot make that showing here.”

Nevertheless, the court filing subtly hinted at Willis's strategic intention to quash the subpoenas, alluding to her dissatisfaction with the potential hearing's efficiency and the perceived lack of merit in the defendant's claims.

“Disrupt and delay appear to be the primary goal of each of the subpoenas served to District Attorney employees and opposing counsel,” the motion continues. “Finally, the indiscriminate breadth with which defendant Roman has sought to secure testimony from District Attorney employees is troubling, and suggests an eye toward public narrative as opposed to legal remedy.”

In addition to targeting Willis, prosecutors, and staffers, Roman's subpoenas extended to requesting the bank records of Wade’s law practice and even sought to subpoena Wade's divorce attorney.

Willis deemed these attempts wasteful and irrelevant, arguing that the subpoena should be quashed “without the need for public invocation of privilege” because such an invocation “could well lead to more reckless speculation.”

The impending hearing on February 15 before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is expected to delve into Roman’s motion and the overarching issue of the various subpoenas.

Social media criticism against Willis

However, Willis's legal maneuvering has not shielded her from criticism on social media. 

"DA Willis and Wade are trying to cover up their various misdeeds but the truth will emerge," one posted on X.

"How long will the grifters be able to quash subpoenas?" another wrote.

"She thinks she is above the law," someone else added.

"Fani has much bigger problems than she thinks," another chimed in.

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