Trump co-defendant in Ga. case obtains subpoena for DA Fani Willis to testify about relationship with special prosecutor

Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis and Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade have been subpoenaed to testify at a Feb. 15 hearing about allegations that Willis has benefited financially from Wade, his alleged romantic partner.

The citations, first reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitutionwere revealed in a lawsuit against the Fulton County district attorney’s office filed by Ashleigh Merchant, the attorney for Trump co-defendant Michael Roman, who made the allegations about the relationship in an effort to have the charges dismissed.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is overseeing Trump’s election interference case, scheduled the Feb. 15 hearing to address Roman’s motion to dismiss charges and misconduct allegations against Willis and Wade. .

Merchant alleges in the lawsuit that the district attorney’s office fails to comply with the Georgia Open Records Act by intentionally stopping document requests. He said the office “has refused, without adequate explanation, to provide” Roman’s legal team “many of the requested materials that are known to exist and that are not subject to any exception in the Act and some of which have been pending since September 2023.”

Merchant is asking the court to order the district attorney’s office to give him the records he seeks or show they cannot be provided. She also requested that the court award his team the costs incurred in trying to bring Willis into compliance with the law.

In a statement to NBC News, Jeff DiSantis, a spokesman for Willis, said his office “has provided Merchant with the information to which he is entitled and an update on the status of others, in accordance with the law.”

Merchant also says in the lawsuit that Roman “has claimed that Willis and Wade should be disqualified because Willis used taxpayer money to pay Wade, with whom she had a romantic relationship at the time and, in turn, received financial benefits from said relationship.” relationship”. payments in the form of vacations, hotel stays and other personal gifts.”

Former President Donald Trump Last week it was decided to adopt Roman’s motion to dismiss the election interference charges.citing allegations of an inappropriate relationship between prosecutors.

Willis has not responded to the allegations. A judge has given him until Friday to file a written response with the court. Willis’ office said he plans to do so.