Trump lawyers claim DA Fani Willis ‘stoked racial animus’ with public speech

Donald Trump’s lawyers don’t buy District Attorney Fani Willis’ claims she wasn’t referring to the defendants in the Georgia election fraud case during her public “playing the race card” speech.

Willis claimed in bombshell court papers Friday — in which she admitted to having an affair with lead Trump prosecutor Nathan Wade — her Jan. 14 comments about being racially targeted weren’t aimed at Trump, his co-defendants or the case against them.

But on Wednesday Trump’s lawyers fired back claiming the denial is “preposterous and disingenuous at best, and an outright lie at worst.”

Willis’ public statement “intentionally and in bad faith injected race, religion, and politics into the case and stoked racial animus,” Trump’s team wrote, echoing their prior arguments seeking to kick the DA off the prosecution.

Willis first publicly addressed allegations she should be disqualified over her hiring and dating Wade saying: “They only attacked one,” prosecutor on the case. “First thing they say, ‘Oh, she’s gonna play the race card now.’

“But no God, isn’t it them that’s playing the race card when they only question one?” she said of the fact that she and Wade — who are both black — were the only ones in the prosecution team being accused of misconduct.

Donald Trump’s lawyers don’t buy that District Attorney Fani Willis wasn’t referring to the defendants in her election fraud case during her “pulling the race card” speech. REUTERS

Willis’ office Friday claimed when she made the Jan. 14 speech claiming she was being racially targeted with misconduct allegations she wasn’t referring to Trump, his lawyers, his co-defendants or the criminal case against them. AP

Trump co-defendant Mike Roman first outed the duo for their alleged “clandestine” relationship, claiming Willis hired an allegedly under-qualified Wade at an unusually high pay and then reaped the benefits of that salary when Wade allegedly treated her to fancy vacations.

Wade’s open divorce case was simultaneously dragged into the spotlight as his estranged wife, Joycelyn Wade, argued he was spending money on Willis while she was left unable to support herself. The Wades have since reached a temporary divorce settlement.

Willis’ office Friday claimed there was nothing illegal about their relationship, they alternated paying for vacations and both have separate finances.

“I’m a little confused. I appointed three special counsel, as is my right to do,” Willis said during the speech last month. “They only attack one of them,” she said, without mentioning the defendants.

Friday Willis admitted to being in a relationship with lead prosecutor Nathan Wade — a fact the Trump defendants claim should disqualify her from the case. AP

“Some will never see a black man as qualified, no matter his achievements.”

After Trump’s lawyers first accused Willis of racial prejudice, her office responded Friday saying her statements “neither reference this case nor these defendants” and saying there is no evidence she “was motivated to treat [Trump] differently because of his race, gender, or any other improper ground.”

But Trump’s team said “who else would the DA be repeatedly and predominantly referring to in her use of the words ‘they’ and ‘them’ and ‘themselves’ other than the defendants via disparagement and condemnation of their defense counsel,” the filing reads.

Trump co-defendant Mike Roman first raised the bombshell misconduct allegations against Willis last month as he sought to have criminal charges against him dropped. Fulton County

Trump’s side claims that the comments, made out of court, were unethical and are grounds for her disqualification and for the case to be tossed against the real estate tycoon.

A hearing is set for Feb. 15 for oral arguments on Roman and Trump’s motions to toss the criminal racketeering charges against them and to force Willis off the case.

Roman’s side has issued subpoenas for Willis and Wade’s testimony at that hearing, but Willis’ office indicated Friday they are going to try to get out of the public testimony and will ask for the hearing to be canceled altogether.

“Our filing argues persuasively that, contrary to the DA’s response, Georgia law authorizes and compels the disqualification of the DA for her extrajudicial prosecutorial comments in violation of her special ethical responsibilities as a prosecutor,” Trump lawyer Steve Sadow said in a statement.

A spokesman with the DA’s office declined to comment Wednesday.