Judge Scott McAfee's decision against Fani Willis is "not a good look" for the district attorney's office and is a significant gift to the defense, CNN legal analyst Michael Moore said Friday.
McAfee declined to dismiss Willis from the case, but stated that she or special prosecutor Nathan Wade must stand down to resolve a "appearance of impropriety" regarding an alleged financial conflict of interest. The judge's judgment reflects poorly on the prosecution, and Willis will most certainly face additional legal challenges, Moore said on "CNN News Central."
“This was a self-inflicted wound that should have been healed and taken care of months ago,” Moore said. “But basically they just let it get infected now to this place where the district attorney has been called by a court that she has to practice in front of and her office has to practice in front of, she’s been called now unprofessional. And this frankly … is a gift to the defense, I believe, as they will use this as they talk about whether or not the case has merit or whether or not it was brought for other reasons, whether or not it’s a professional prosecutor and all that. We’re going to hear all that down the road.”
“But we’re also going to hear, I expect, comments from the Georgia legislature, as they have moved forward with their panel inquiry into her conduct,” Moore added. “We’re going to hear now this finding echoed around the halls of Congress by the likes of people like Jim Jordan and things like that. So this is not a good day for the state and it’s not a good look for the state.”
The court ruled that the defendants "failed to meet their burden of proving that the District Attorney acquired an actual conflict of interest in this case through her personal relationship and recurring travels with her lead prosecutor." However, he claimed that the record "highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team," implying that Wade must either withdraw or Willis and her whole office can elect to stand down.
In a Jan. 8 motion, Trump co-defendant Michael Roman claimed that Willis profited financially by appointing Wade to the case through expensive outings utilizing monies from the special prosecutor's law company obtained from Fulton County. According to legal experts, the district attorney may face a referral to the bar.
“I don’t think politically she’s got to worry,” Moore said. “I mean, she’s in a democratic county. She’s liked by many people in her personal and professional capacity. I don’t think she’s got to worry about whether or not somebody runs against her and uses this as some big trumpet that they’re going to beat her at the polls. This is about how the case looks going forward and now whether or not when a representation is made by the state in court, whether or not the judge believes that, and so this paints the entire picture.”
Moore also said that the case will most likely not be decided before the November election, regardless of who prosecutes it.
CNN Legal Expert Slams Willis Ruling: This Would Be 'Career-Ender For A Normal Prosecutor'