Ever since District Attorney Fani Willis began prosecuting former president Donald Trump for his efforts to steal the state of Georgia’s votes in the 2020 election, the eyes of an entire nation have been on her.
So far, Willis has indicted Trump and 18 others with over 40 charges, but the focus of the case has leaned more towards Willis’ personal life. After it was revealed that she was in a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the lead prosecutor for the investigation, Trump’s legal team began to use this to cast doubt on Willis’ credibility.
If they are able to succeed with the theory that she is gaining financially from this arrangement, then it is more likely for the indictments against Trump to be thrown out completely. Since many Georgia residents are not too keen on seeing Black women take on powerful men such as Donald Trump, this could be what they want.
It may very well have been their plan to put Willis in the spotlight only to wait for her to “slip up” in a sense. When the next election for district attorney of Fulton County comes along, not only will Willis not be seen as a viable option, but this might extend to Black candidates as a whole.
Speculation aside, the possible smear campaign being run against Willis might already be effective. A lot of politicians and even normal civilians believe that she is not in the right position to file a case against Trump due to being dishonest about her personal relationship with Wade.
Willis admitted to trying to hire people before she contacted Wade, but this is ultimately irrelevant. It does not help that the two took many vacations together, and Willis paid him $750,000 check to be the lead prosecutor for the case. It is believed by some that Willis could have taken the funds for this personal trip from the state.
Many hearings have been held allowing Fani Willis to plead her case and explain where she got the funds for these trips, and when it comes to public opinion, it has been both positive and negative. Some believe that Fani Willis should be recused from this case, but that might lead to it getting thrown out overall.
I fear that people may be forgetting what the objective is, and that is to hold Donald Trump accountable for his wrongdoings. If the focus is kept on Fani Willis, Trump’s failings might begin to slip under the radar. We need to keep him and his crimes in the spotlight as well, instead of just focusing on the mistakes of Willis.
It might be best for the entire case for Willis to replace Wade, recuse herself or to take a step back and allow someone else to stand in the spotlight. Her reputation has already taken a hit, and the attention being switched to her relationship might actually help Trump clear himself of the indictments. It may be best for the case if a new face takes center stage so it can be focused back to what it started as, an investigation proving that Trump participated in racketeering in the 2020 election.
Willis, herself, might need to tone down her pride. As a Black woman working in politics, I do not imagine that her job has been easy. She stated before that during the time when she indicted rapper Young Thug for 56 counts of gang-related crimes under Georgia’s RICO statute, she received death threats. However, she may not be doing the best job at proving that she is truly impartial.
When you do a case like this on such a large scale, then it is important to remember that you are not just there for yourself. You are essentially representing people of Fulton County. A county does not hold bias, a county is supposed to be impartial, and if it seems like you are prosecuting someone based on personal feelings and reservations, then you will suffer damage as a representative of the county.
It may be best for Willis to make some adjustments before she is forced to if her true goal is to make sure Trump pays for his crime of racketeering to change the vote count in Georgia. Historically, Black people in power have had to choose their employment against holding the wealthy accountable. At some point, the greater good for Fulton County must be the priority in order to ensure the best outcome for the community.