Fani Willis won the court battle to stay on in the Georgia election-meddling case against Donald Trump, but the judge’s opinion contained damning statements that could be “devastating” to Willis’ career, CNN legal analyst Elie Honig said Friday. (Watch the video below.)
Honig noted that the judge made several critical comments about Willis, the district attorney for Fulton County, Georgia, even as he ruled that she can remain on the prosecution if prosecutor Nathan Wade removes himself.
Willis and Wade were romantically involved, leading to a motion by Trump’s lawyers to dismiss the case on the grounds that Willis improperly benefited from their relationship.
Judge Scott McAfee dismissed the claim, but questioned Willis’ professionalism, character and truthfulness in a “bruising” opinion that would be a “career ender for a normal prosecutor,” Honig said.
“These are really serious findings by the judge about the D.A., and these are all verbatim from the opinion,” Honig said. “First of all, there is a quote, ‘significant appearance of impropriety that infects the prosecution team.’ Second, ‘a tremendous lack in judgment.’ Third, ‘the unprofessional manner of the D.A.’s testimony.’ Fourth, ‘the odor of mendacity remains.’”
Honig said the judge also suggested that Willis cast “racial aspersions on the defendants.” The CNN wonk saved for last what he thought was the most devastating comment of all: “There are reasonable questions about whether the D.A. testified untruthfully.”
“Any one of these statements by a judge would be a career ender for a normal prosecutor,” Honig said. “To have an on-the-record finding that there are reasonable questions about whether you lied under oath? That would be devastating.”
H/T Mediaite