Special Prosecutor in Trump Case Allegedly Billed Fani Willis’s Office $6k for 24 Hours of Work in 1 Day

[Vambram]

Do you think money transferred to a lawyer or law firm to do legal work is a gift?

From the DA to her boyfriend?
Sure does look like corruption to me.

 

[Hans Blaster]

From the DA to her boyfriend?
Sure does look like corruption to me.

Her "boyfriend"* is a lawyer working on the case, one of the top ranking lawyers added to the case from outside the DA's office.

What has not been established is:

1. Is there a romantic relationship?
2. When did it start?
3. Is DA Willis benefiting financially from the arrangement?

It is my understanding that it is only the last question that can trigger disqualification.

* relationship not proven.

 

[Vambram]

Her "boyfriend"* is a lawyer working on the case, one of the top ranking lawyers added to the case from outside the DA's office.

What has not been established is:

1. Is there a romantic relationship?
2. When did it start?
3. Is DA Willis benefiting financially from the arrangement?

It is my understanding that it is only the last question that can trigger disqualification.

* relationship not proven.

If Willis and her boyfriend lawyer along with the big time money she paid him to be on the case is NOT corruption, then I will need to change the definition of corruption.

 

[Tuur]

Or maybe, as the article you linked talked about, there was no "improper relationship" because he was talking to the White House Counsel's office about getting in contact with former Trump administration officials and ensuring he understood the laws and regulations in contacting them (ensuring they didn't infringe on issues like Executive Privilege and the Privacy Act).

Two different issues. The improper relationship issue is with Ms. Willis. That's separate from the WH issue. Honestly, I wouldn't think much of it except the back-to-back claims of first there is no record of a visit, and second precisely what you noted here. That's sounds like an admission that yes, he made the visit. If, so, there's no good reason to keep it out of the WH logs. It merely looks suspicious.

 

[Tuur]

It is my understanding that it is only the last question that can trigger disqualification.

For improper relationship? Very likely. It's unseemly, but even if he did profit from the relationship, wouldn't think it would have had a bearing on the case. The courts may think otherwise, or argue it's tainted, but it just seems like a separate issue.

 

[Tuur]

Do you think money transferred to a lawyer or law firm to do legal work is a gift?

This. The money would have to be paid to any lawyer involved. The bigger question is whether it was an instance of cronyism and whether that crossed legal guidelines.

 

[Hans Blaster]

For improper relationship? Very likely. It's unseemly, but even if he did profit from the relationship, wouldn't think it would have had a bearing on the case. The courts may think otherwise, or argue it's tainted, but it just seems like a separate issue.

For DA Willis and the entire Fulton County DA's Office to be disqualified (what the Motion to Dismiss from defendant Mike Roman requests) DA Willis *herself* would have to financially benefited from the payments (what Roman alleges). If there is a lesser, but still impermissible relationship (hiring your boyfriend, dating a subordinate, etc.) then she or he would be removed from the case (presumably) but the Fulton County DA's office would still be prosecuting.

Roman wants the Fulton DA's Office removed because then the case would have to transfer to either another suitable county DA office in a different county, or if none would take it, the GA AG's office. Effectively he's hoping partisan politics would kill it if Fulton Co can't prosecute.

This is based on my understanding of GA law as explained to me by actual experts.

 

[Tuur]

Effectively he's hoping partisan politics would kill it if Fulton Co can't prosecute.

Yet partisanship may exactly be what's going on in Fulton County now. I don't know that, but I've seen too much over the years to dismiss it out of hand.

What would be interesting is something that would never happen: the Georgia General Assembly dissolve Fulton County. Yes, that would be partisan. It's also legal. I'll merely note that Gov. Maddox of Georgia never attempted to disincorporate Ludowici over their infamous speed trap, instead placing warning billboards on US 1 outside the city limits.

 

[Tuur]

Important addendum: Hover the cursor over the link to display the URL. Tried to post the URL as text as well as the link, but failed. Never click on a link without knowing where it goes.

Original post below:

Just saw this. It looks interesting:

MSN

 

[Hans Blaster]

Yet partisanship may exactly be what's going on in Fulton County now. I don't know that, but I've seen too much over the years to dismiss it out of hand.

The theory of the case for this argument seems to be that no other county will take up the case (size, DAs, etc.) and the GA AG will kill it. That's the partisanship envisioned, but not by me, by Trump co-defendant Mike Roman. He's the one assuming that's what will happen.

What would be interesting is something that would never happen: the Georgia General Assembly dissolve Fulton County. Yes, that would be partisan. It's also legal. I'll merely note that Gov. Maddox of Georgia never attempted to disincorporate Ludowici over their infamous speed trap, instead placing warning billboards on US 1 outside the city limits.

I have no idea what any of that is, or who those people are.

 

[Tuur]

I have no idea what any of that is, or who those people are.

Pull up a chair. This gets kind of wild.

The county thing is straightforward. State legislatures can create or adjust county boundaries, or do away with them completely. Georgia has 159 counties, second only to Texas (yes, I had to look that up). Why so many? Because the Democrat primary in Georgia used something called a County Unit System that awarded more votes to rural counties than to urban. This led to a proliferation of rural counties. The County Unit System didn't hold up in the courts because it violated one person, one vote, but the number of counties remain. The General Assembly could simply do away with Fulton County by dividing it among its neighbors. I seriously doubt that will happen.

Ludowici, now there's a tale. Ludowici is a Georgia town on US 1. Before the interstates, US 1 was the main highway from northern states to Florida, and Ludowici set up a speed trap. Now, speed traps in small towns are notorious everywhere, so maybe it was sitting on US 1 that gave Ludowici notoriety.

Lester Maddox was the owner of the Pickrick Restaurant in Atlanta who violated the law by refusing to serve blacks. He stood at the door with a pickax handle to prevent blacks from entering, and I think I read where he had pickax handles set out in his restaurant where patrons could join in. Such were the times that he used this as a successful springboard into politics and became elected governor. He could also ride a bicycle backwards and would do so in parades - I kid you not. He also supposedly grabbed a contractor who tried to bribe him by the elbow and "escorted" him from his office.

Well, the speed trap in Ludowici was a sore point with Maddox, and he tried to do away with it. Discovering that the governor didn't have that authority over a town, he instead put up billboards on US 1 outside the city limits warning of a speed trap ahead. Now, state legislatures have the authority to incorporate or disincorporate towns as they see fit, and I dimly recall periodic threats to disincorporate Atlanta, but that was a long time ago. So it's interesting that Maddox didn't push to disincorporate Ludowici.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Pull up a chair. This gets kind of wild.

The county thing is straightforward. State legislatures can create or adjust county boundaries, or do away with them completely. Georgia has 159 counties, second only to Texas (yes, I had to look that up). Why so many? Because the Democrat primary in Georgia used something called a County Unit System that awarded more votes to rural counties than to urban. This led to a proliferation of rural counties. The County Unit System didn't hold up in the courts because it violated one person, one vote, but the number of counties remain. The General Assembly could simply do away with Fulton County by dividing it among its neighbors. I seriously doubt that will happen.

Ludowici, now there's a tale. Ludowici is a Georgia town on US 1. Before the interstates, US 1 was the main highway from northern states to Florida, and Ludowici set up a speed trap. Now, speed traps in small towns are notorious everywhere, so maybe it was sitting on US 1 that gave Ludowici notoriety.

Lester Maddox was the owner of the Pickrick Restaurant in Atlanta who violated the law by refusing to serve blacks. He stood at the door with a pickax handle to prevent blacks from entering, and I think I read where he had pickax handles set out in his restaurant where patrons could join in. Such were the times that he used this as a successful springboard into politics and became elected governor. He could also ride a bicycle backwards and would do so in parades - I kid you not. He also supposedly grabbed a contractor who tried to bribe him by the elbow and "escorted" him from his office.

Well, the speed trap in Ludowici was a sore point with Maddox, and he tried to do away with it. Discovering that the governor didn't have that authority over a town, he instead put up billboards on US 1 outside the city limits warning of a speed trap ahead. Now, state legislatures have the authority to incorporate or disincorporate towns as they see fit, and I dimly recall periodic threats to disincorporate Atlanta, but that was a long time ago. So it's interesting that Maddox didn't push to disincorporate Ludowici.

You have confirmed that none of it was relevant to the post. Thanks.

 

[Pommer]

Her "boyfriend"* is a lawyer working on the case, one of the top ranking lawyers added to the case from outside the DA's office.

What has not been established is:

1. Is there a romantic relationship?
2. When did it start?
3. Is DA Willis benefiting financially from the arrangement?

It is my understanding that it is only the last question that can trigger disqualification.

* relationship not proven.

Per the Motion, via the fine journalists at Breitbart:

”Notably, on November 2, 2021, the day after his first contract commenced, Wade filed for divorce from his wife, according to Roman’s motion.

‘Sources close to both the special prosecutor and the district attorney have confirmed Willis and Wade had an ongoing, personal and romantic relationship during the pendency of Wade’s divorce proceedings,’ the motion purports.”

This is not a “good look”.

 

[Tuur]

You have confirmed that none of it was relevant to the post. Thanks.

Ah, but it is relevant. The Georgia General Assembly has the power to dissolve Fulton County. A rather extreme way to move a trial, and unlikely, but maybe more likely that the Brownian motion in your cup of coffee making it vibrate in time with Waltzing Matilda. Just as the Georgia General Assembly could have disincorporated Ludowici, but didn't do so.

The rest is a trip down memory lane and politics. And while I'm mildly surprised the name Lester Maddox isn't familiar, I suppose he doesn't ring a bell with younger folks. Given how Maddox got into politics, he was rather notorious.

 

[KCfromNC]

If Willis and her boyfriend lawyer along with the big time money she paid him to be on the case is NOT corruption, then I will need to change the definition of corruption.

Perhaps, but does any of that change the facts of the case against Donald? Seems like the actual legal case against him must be going pretty terribly for this to be the best his team can come up with to dispute the charges.

 

[Hans Blaster]

The rest is a trip down memory lane and politics. And while I'm mildly surprised the name Lester Maddox isn't familiar, I suppose he doesn't ring a bell with younger folks. Given how Maddox got into politics, he was rather notorious.

I'm not a southerner, so I really only know the very most notorious from the Civil Rights era. Wallace, ... now I can't think of any more. There was that guy in Arkansas, something about Fester I want to say (a first name). I can't really think of any other southern governors going back to Huey Long in La. (Or frankly not that many governors at all that didn't get involved in national politics: Reagan, Dewey, Romney [for his son, not himself], from before my time.)

 

[Tuur]

I'm not a southerner, so I really only know the very most notorious from the Civil Rights era. Wallace, ... now I can't think of any more. There was that guy in Arkansas, something about Fester I want to say (a first name). I can't really think of any other southern governors going back to Huey Long in La. (Or frankly not that many governors at all that didn't get involved in national politics: Reagan, Dewey, Romney [for his son, not himself], from before my time.)

Fair enough. The first political cartoon I can vaguely recall was one about Maddox.

Last night, my wife corrected me about Ludowici, Georgia. She remembers a song about the town, and from the song she remembered it's "on Highway 301." She's right. It's on US 301, not US 1.

 

[Valletta]

For DA Willis and the entire Fulton County DA's Office to be disqualified (what the Motion to Dismiss from defendant Mike Roman requests) DA Willis *herself* would have to financially benefited from the payments (what Roman alleges). If there is a lesser, but still impermissible relationship (hiring your boyfriend, dating a subordinate, etc.) then she or he would be removed from the case (presumably) but the Fulton County DA's office would still be prosecuting.

Roman wants the Fulton DA's Office removed because then the case would have to transfer to either another suitable county DA office in a different county, or if none would take it, the GA AG's office. Effectively he's hoping partisan politics would kill it if Fulton Co can't prosecute.

This is based on my understanding of GA law as explained to me by actual experts.

There's clear impropriety. Willis hired someone to prosecute the case who was from private practice, it turns out he lacks qualifications as a prosecutor, and she has a personal relationship with that individual. All three of those points show improper conduct on the part of Fani Willis.

 

[DaisyDay]

Darn it...has anyone seen Mike Roman? While we've been discussing Wade's possible preferences for holiday partners he seems to have snuck off. Maybe the idiot thinks that all this kerfuffle means he doesn't have to stick around to stand trial.

I didn't know who he was so I looked him up:

Who is Mike Roman, the Philly campaign operative charged in Georgia with helping Trump efforts to overturn the 2020 election?

The Philadelphia-born GOP campaign operative was one of 18 aides and allies charged by a Georgia grand jury with helping former President Donald Trump in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

www.inquirer.com

Mike Roman, who served as director of Election Day operations for Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, was charged by a state grand jury with seven counts including racketeering conspiracy and conspiracies to commit forgery, to impersonate a public officer, to commit false statements, and to file false documents.

Roman’s role as one of the chief implementers of Trump’s plan to organize slates of so-called fake electors in battleground states has been well documented in investigations by federal authorities and congressional probes.

 

[Bradskii]

I didn't know who he was so I looked him up:

Who is Mike Roman, the Philly campaign operative charged in Georgia with helping Trump efforts to overturn the 2020 election?

The Philadelphia-born GOP campaign operative was one of 18 aides and allies charged by a Georgia grand jury with helping former President Donald Trump in his efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

www.inquirer.com

He's the guy who's legal team raised this matter in the first place. Almost like a diversion so he could sneak off without being noticed somehow while everyone's attention is elsewhere. A legal tactic which included his defence complaining that the prosecutor wasn't sufficiently experienced to take the case. Now, that just has to be a first.