It's getting messy in GA- Trump Indictment and Fani Willis

[basilosaurus]

Jan 25, 2024 8:33:18 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jan 25, 2024 7:59:36 GMT -5 Bad Dingo said:

If there was a relationship (unproven), is that something that is not ethically allowed? I don't know the workings of DA offices and Special Prosecutors so I really don't know.

If that is something that is expressly forbidden then he should probably be removed as Special Counsel. What are the actual issues with this relationship if it's not forbidden?

The arguments I'm seeing are - misuse of government funds - is that because people are implying that he isn't a good prosecutor and shouldn't have been hired for this position?

I'm with those who don't really see this as a big deal and I think it's being pursued because - Trump, juicy/contentious divorce, black woman in power, more Trump.

The biggest issue is that he may not be qualified for the position he holds.

like how the orange guy was not in any way qualified for most of his positions? I thought these fools pretended that relevant experience makes you less qualified.

[kittywalker]

Jan 25, 2024 10:00:55 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Jan 25, 2024 8:33:18 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

The biggest issue is that he may not be qualified for the position he holds.

like how the orange guy was not in any way qualified for most of his positions? I thought these fools pretended that relevant experience makes you less qualified.

For me, it's less about whether he is actually qualified and more about the idea that she should not be the one who decides if he is qualified because she's having a relationship with him. She is a lawyer, and all of the lawyers on this board know that this a shocking display of bad judgment. If she had just disclosed it, someone else could have either said yes, he can do the job (unlikely due to the relationship as she essentially directs his work in this case) or no, he cannot. I am a lawyer and I cannot fathom this. To do something so ridiculous when prosecuting such an important case is inexcusable to me.

[Bad Dingo]

I believe that he was hired in November 2021, so either they've kept a relationship quiet for 2+ years, or maybe something started recently, or maybe there is no relationship.

This is being driven by Republicans and the media. If there is no actual ethics code that says they cannot be in a relationship then I don't see the problem.

ETA: and he was separated from his wife for even longer, so characterizing this as an "affair" is just ridiculous.

[mrshandy]

Jan 25, 2024 11:11:20 GMT -5 Bad Dingo said:

I believe that he was hired in November 2021, so either they've kept a relationship quiet for 2+ years, or maybe something started recently, or maybe there is no relationship.

This is being driven by Republicans and the media. If there is no actual ethics code that says they cannot be in a relationship then I don't see the problem.

ETA: and he was separated from his wife for even longer, so characterizing this as an "affair" is just ridiculous.

Apparently he filed for divorce right around when he was hired. So yeah affair seems a generous term. A very supportive expert on this case weighed in that he thinks that Wade should step away from the case to stop the controversy and allow the case to move forward easier. I agree with that. Other experts said that while there is evidence that there was a relationship, there isn't evidence that the DA should have to recuse themselves. Her decisions may impact her when it comes to election time, but shouldn't impact the prosecution. Fingers crossed that this turns out to be true. 

[aurora]

Jan 25, 2024 11:11:20 GMT -5 Bad Dingo said:

I believe that he was hired in November 2021, so either they've kept a relationship quiet for 2+ years, or maybe something started recently, or maybe there is no relationship.

This is being driven by Republicans and the media. If there is no actual ethics code that says they cannot be in a relationship then I don't see the problem.

ETA: and he was separated from his wife for even longer, so characterizing this as an "affair" is just ridiculous.

I think it can both be true that the media storm is being generated by politics and that there are ethical questions. (I phrase it that way because I don't know what is actually happening so don't know if it is an ethical violation. It is clearly political, at least.)

In my government-affiliated position (much less prominent than this) I absolutely would not be allowed to hire someone I have a close personal relationship with. Isn't that true of most jobs? It seems to me that a lot of the ethics question does hinge on whether they were/are in a relationship.

The fact that R's get away with this kind of thing is a function of both racism and a weakening democracy.

[starlily]

The most recent It's Complicated podcast episode had what I thought was a really good discussion of the practical and ethical considerations of the allegations. The two hosts had different perspectives, so I thought it was a well-rounded look at the issues. The discussion starts at around the 20 minute mark if you don't want to listen to the entire episode.

[carmenere]

Jan 25, 2024 8:40:52 GMT -5 mrshandy said:

Jan 25, 2024 7:59:36 GMT -5 Bad Dingo said:

The arguments I'm seeing are - misuse of government funds - is that because people are implying that he isn't a good prosecutor and shouldn't have been hired for this position?

There is evidence of this. He has very little experience prosecuting criminal cases, no RICO experience, etc. I will say in his favor that grand jury members have stated that they were very impressed with him and enjoyed working with him. 

The optics are bad no matter how you slice it. I would encourage everyone to learn the facts of the case before making judgments which are still coming out. 

It sucks that it had to come to this, but the facts will be laid out and the judge handling this matter will decide how to proceed. Many people with far more legal knowledge than me have been impressed with the way he has handled it so far. 

I agree Wade seems unqualified. But we now know that Willis previously asked at least two well-qualified attorneys to join the prosecution team before turning to Wade. Former governor Roy Barnes has said on the record that he was asked but declined because of security concerns (and I can’t blame him). It’s quite possible that others turned down the job as well. So while there are valid concerns about his qualifications, the aspersion Willis made her boyfriend a special prosecutor so that she could funnel money to him also isn’t entirely supported by the facts.

www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/fani-willis-trump-2020-election-case-prosecutor-nathan-wade/