‘Just Don’t Know What She’s Thinking!’ Former Fulton ADA Slams Fani Willis Over Affair Allegation, Playing ‘Race’ Card
Former Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Darryl Cohen joined NewsNation’s Dan Abrams, founder of Mediaite, to discuss the news that Fulton DA Fani Willis is now facing a hearing over allegations she’s having an affair with the special prosecutor in the Donald Trump Election case.
Earlier this week, a superior court judge in Georgia set a hearing for Feb. 15th to look into accusation that Willis had an improper relationship with Nathan Wade, the prosecutor, which attorneys for one of the defendants say is disqualifying.
Willis is accused of having an affair with Nathan Wade that allegedly helped financially benefitted her. She responded to the claims of wrongdoing earlier this month by claiming that racism was the motivator behind the accusations and questions of impropriety.
On the same day that the hearing was announced, Willis also filed a personal motion to have a subpoena quashed in Wade’s divorce proceedings, in which the embattled DA lashed out at Wade’s estranged wife and accused her of “obstructing” the case against Trump — a response that CNN’s Elie Honig on Friday called “very improper.”
Cohen, who briefly worked on the case into the former president, criticized Willis for her response to the accusations but noted he does not believe will be forced off the case, nor that the case will be dismissed.
Abrams asked the attorney the significance of the judge setting a hearing on the affair allegations. Cohen noted Willis response was “not a good move” by using race as a defense.
COHEN: It means that he wants to bring everything out into the open. He wants the court to know what is going on, why these are allegations, and is there any truth or a lot of truth to the allegations. Now, I, like you, don’t believe that she’s going to be forced off the case. I also would take copious amounts of money bets that this indictment will not be quashed. But this is bad. It’s really in the court of public opinion and my view, it’s not race. And Fani, by the way, is a friend of mine. I just don’t know what she’s thinking. This was not a good move. The optics are terrible. My dad was an eye doctor, and if he saw this type of thing, he would send them with very thick glasses. Send them off. Get him out of here!
ABRAMS: Let me ask you. So let’s assume the court determines that they were having, or are having, an affair or relationship. What does the judge do at that point, particularly if they’re in an ongoing relationship? Does he say, look, if there’s that kind of relationship going on, at the least he can’t keep working on the case. I don’t know, what is the remedy?
COHEN: I don’t think that makes any difference. To me it’s very Shakespeare. Much to do about nothing. If they’re having an affair, if they’re dating each other, admit it. Go on, move on. The American public is very forgiving. Just admit that you made a mistake in judgment and move on. Nathan’s a good guy. I don’t think he has the qualifications to be anything other than a head coach in this instance. And it has nothing to do with race, nothing to do with anything other than the facts of what Fani did or did not do. And what Nathan is doing or not doing.
ABRAMS: This is going to be a tough hearing for her regardless.
COHEN: Oh, it’s going to be terrible. She’s going to have there’s going to be press from all over the world. This is not just a case about Atlanta or Georgia or the United States. This is universal. And this is not a good look for this type of unbelievable case.
Watch the full clip above via NewsNation.
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