That’s forbidden love! ALAN DERSHOWITZ slams Georgia judge for letting DA Fani Willis continue her war on Trump despite paying her ‘lover’ with taxpayer dollars… it’s more proof of America’s rotten justice

Who will guard against the corruption of some American protectors?

Nobody, apparently. At least not in Georgia.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, who is ruling on the state’s election interference case against Donald Trump, essentially let District Attorney Fani Willis off the hook.

Willis prosecuted the extensive racketeering case against the former president and eighteen other co-defendants. That was until the proceedings were abruptly halted in early January when it was revealed that she had been having a secret romance with the special prosecutor she appointed for the trial.

After weeks of silence, Willis and her now-former lover Nathan Wade admitted they had a “personal relationship” but insisted it began after November 2021, when Wade was hired.

In a dramatic role reversal, Willis and Wade both took the witness stand for two days of hearings that delved deep into their private lives.

It was revealed that Wade billed Georgia taxpayers more than $728,000 in legal fees for his work on the case. And some of the money helped finance a lifestyle of vacations to Belize, California’s Napa Valley and the Caribbean, which he and Willis enjoyed together.

In the world of public services, this alleged crime is known as ‘self-dealing’: the practice of exploiting one’s position of authority to enrich oneself.

Trump’s lawyers claimed their relationship created an untenable conflict of interest, prompting the judge to disqualify Willis from the case.

Yet somehow on Friday, Judge McAfee found a way to look the other way and deal another sickening blow to public faith in American justice.

Logic, law and morality be damned.

It’s a decision that would make wise King Solomon shudder.

Because Judge McAfee split the baby in half.

In a 23-page order, he found that Willis had made a “massive error of judgment” and behaved “unprofessionally” for not disclosing her romantic relationship with Wade.

But inexplicably, McAfee ruled that Willis would not be disqualified from the case.

He concluded that there was only an “appearance of a conflict of interest,” and not enough evidence of a material “conflict” to justify her dismissal.

McAfee has given Willis two options: either she and her firm voluntarily withdraw from his case, or Wade quits.

I wonder what she will decide.

Now it may very well be true that the Georgia case against Trump was not started for the sole purpose of making Willis and her lover rich. But that’s certainly not the right benchmark on which McAfee should have based its decision.

The evidence shows that both parties were enriched during their investigation. That is a clear conflict of interest and much more than just ‘appearance’.

In fact, the real question is not whether Willis should be barred from pursuing her prosecution, but whether she should be investigated, charged and convicted.

If District Attorney Fani Willis were to prosecute citizen Fani Willis, she would certainly have an extremely strong case.

Possible charges include perjury, conspiracy and obstruction of justice.

Willis testified under oath that her romantic relationship with Wade began in 2022 after he was appointed to join the case.

But Robin Bryant-Yeartie, a former friend and colleague of Willis, testified that she had “no doubt” that Willis and Wade began dating in 2019.

Terrence Bradley, Wade’s former attorney, confirmed that claim in text messages revealed to the court, even though he later claimed on the witness stand that he had “no personal knowledge” of when their relationship began.

If that were all the evidence, perhaps Willis should be believed.

It’s not.

Cell phone records show that Wade was near Willis’ apartment in the middle of the night, not at a likely time for business meetings, several times in 2021, and specifically before 2022, when Willis claimed their relationship began.

In one case, cell phone pings indicated that Wade traveled from his home toward Willis’ home late one evening in September 2021 and remained in the area until 3:30 in the morning. He then texted Willis at 4:20 a.m., according to an affidavit filed by Trump’s lawyers.

There is also the accusation that Wade used his income as a special prosecutor to pay for their exotic trips.

Willis testified that she repaid Wade every penny for her half of the outings he financed. But she has no proof of repayment – ​​even though the burden of proof should be on her to prove repayment.

As a prosecutor, Willis is legally required to report all gifts she receives. She must have assumed that one day she might be asked to determine that Wade was compensated.

But there are no bank withdrawals or deposits, no handwritten notes and no photos of any refunds.

According to Willis and Wade, these refunds were made in cash.

No reasonable jury would believe this.

Yet here we are.

A judge has ruled that Fani Willis will not be barred from pursuing a case against the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Trump and his co-defendants must demand an immediate review of this gross injustice by an appeals court.

If the former president or others are convicted, there will certainly be grounds to demand that those convictions be overturned.

But whatever the outcome, this prosecution is irrevocably tainted – and the American justice system is sinking deeper into decay.