Georgia Republicans are expressing their dissatisfaction with a judge’s ruling that allows Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to remain on the case investigating alleged election interference by former President Donald Trump. Judge Scott McAfee issued the ruling on Friday, stating that Willis could continue if she fired special counsel Nathan Wade, whom she was accused of having an improper romantic relationship with.
Georgia Republican State Rep. Josh Bonner criticized the ruling, stating that it failed to address the partisan nature of the case and accused Willis of being more interested in scoring political points than prosecuting criminals. Similarly, Georgia Republican Lt. Gov Burt Jones called for Willis to resign, stating that the ruling highlighted significant impropriety between her and Wade.
Georgia Republican State Senator Jason Anavitarte argued that Willis willfully concealed her relationship with Wade and criticized her for not removing him from the case sooner. He expressed disappointment in Judge McAfee’s decision, calling it insufficient and emphasizing the importance of holding prosecutors to the highest ethical standards.
Georgia Republican State Sen. Bill Cowsert, who is leading a special Georgia Senate committee probe on Willis, expressed his lack of surprise regarding the ruling but agreed that Willis should recuse herself from the case. He believed that her further involvement would undermine her credibility and the mission of prosecuting the individuals involved.
While some Democrats supported Judge McAfee’s decision, Georgia State Sen. Derek Mallow among them, Republicans strongly criticized it. Mallow commended the judge for exercising jurisprudence and finding the best process to remove any appearance of impropriety from the case.
In his ruling, Judge McAfee acknowledged that there was an appearance of impropriety but stated that the defendants failed to prove an actual conflict of interest. He offered two options to address the appearance of impropriety: Willis and her entire office could step aside, or Wade could withdraw from the case. Wade subsequently announced his decision to step down from the case in the interest of democracy.
Overall, Georgia Republicans are dissatisfied with the judge’s ruling, expressing their belief that Willis should resign and criticizing the handling of the case. They argue that the ruling fails to address the partisan nature of the case and the need for prosecutors to uphold the highest ethical standards.
