Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis invoked race in her first public speech since Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee cautioned her about invoking race during a previous speech delivered from the pulpit of an Atlanta church.
The district attorney made the remarks about race at the South Fulton Women of the Shield Awards on Friday, stating, “It’s hard out here always having to prove yourself two and three times.”
Willis appeared to acknowledged the scolding she received by McAfee, who determined Willis should not be disqualified from her case against former President Donald Trump, but offered stern warnings and demanded her former lover be removed from the case.
“Recently, they tell me, they don’t like me to talk about race,” Willis acknowledged. She then declared, “Well, I’m going to talk about it anyway.”
The district attorney further claimed, “there’s some challenges that come with being black.”
Fani Willis insists to continue playing race card despite judge's criticism
Fani Willis asserts she'll continue discussing racial issues despite facing criticism from a judge for invoking the "race card."#FaniWillis #RaceCard #RacialBias #Trump #HardKnockNews pic.twitter.com/nCFK4puPor
— Hard Knock News (@hardknocknews) March 30, 2024
In her January 14 appearance at the Big Bethel Baptist church in Atlanta, the district attorney previously suggested her critics were only questioning Wade’s appointment because of his race.
Willis framed her speech as a letter to God, and asserted, “I appointed three special counsels, as is my right to do, paid them all the same hourly rate. They only attacked one.”
She continued, “First thing they say, ‘Oh she gonna play the race card right now.’ But no God, isn’t it them who play the race card, when they only question one?”
Fulton County DA Fani Willis allegedly:
– hired her unqualified, secret boyfriend—who had never tried a felony case—to prosecute the unprecedented RICO felony case against the leading opposing presidential candidate
– paid her secret boyfriend over $600,000, including for… https://t.co/gP15ls99jH
— 🇺🇸 Mike Davis 🇺🇸 (@mrddmia) January 14, 2024
In a subsequent speech, similarly delivered from a church pulpit, Willis seemed to suggest she was under divine protection in her Trump prosecution.
Defense attorneys ultimately provided witness testimony suggesting the relationship between Willis and Wade began as early as 2019, multiple years prior to the early 2022 date both Willis and Wade testified to while under oath.
Additionally, defense attorneys provided credit card statements showing Wade purchased luxurious vacations, shared with Willis, using his company credit card. Wade and Willis both testified that the vacation expenses were reimbursed by Willis in unreported cash transactions or by paying for incidental expenses and incursions during their travels.
While Wade resigned after McAfee’s order on the potential disqualification of Willis, he was paid at least $650,000 during his time working on the Trump case.
Though Willis narrowly avoided disqualification after it was revealed she had an affair with Nathan Wade, the married private defense attorney she appointed as her special counsel for the Trump case, McAfee nonetheless allowed defendants to appeal his decision.
Trump and other dependents have since launched or expressed interest in launching their appeals, which one defense attorney who represents a co-defendant of the former president recently suggested could take at least six months once accepted by an appellate court.
– – –
Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis” by City of South Fulton Police Dept.
