Special prosecutor withdraws from Trump’s Georgia prosecution

Update, 4:18 p.m.

Special prosecutor Nathan Wade on Friday resigned from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ prosecution of former President Donald Trump and others for allegedly seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. The New York Times published a copy of his resignation letter, referencing Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee’s ruling earlier on Friday saying either he or Willis needed to step down before the prosecution could advance its case.

What else did the letter say? Wade claimed in the letter he was offering his resignation in the “interest of democracy” and in “dedication to the American public.” He said protecting democracy had been the “North Star” of the Fulton County DA’s prosecution of Trump and his co-defendants.

Initial report, 9:48 a.m.

Judge rules on Atlanta prosecutor’s role in Trump case

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee on Friday ruled that District Attorney Fani Willis must either step aside from her office’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump or remove special prosecutor Nathan Wade from the case. One of Trump’s co-defendants, Michael Roman, asked the judge to dismiss the case earlier this year, alleging Willis behaved unethically and had an affair with Wade. Roman’s motion accused Willis of benefiting financially from hiring Wade because he took her on vacations and paid for it with the salary her office gave him. Willis in a court filing acknowledged the existence of the relationship. She is prosecuting Trump and some of his associates on charges of interfering with the 2020 election results in the Atlanta-area county.

What was the judge’s reasoning? He said that Willis and Wade’s relationship made the prosecution “encumbered by an appearance of impropriety.” McAfee ruled that dismissal was not the right remedy, but he said the case could not proceed until either Willis or Wade stepped down.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in The Stew about the details of Willis’ prosecution of Trump.