Ashleigh Merchant is an attorney representing Michael Roman, a former campaign official for former President Donald J. Trump and co-defendant who faces criminal charges in the Georgia election interference case.
Ms. Merchant, who was recently elected president of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, has a private practice with her husband. She previously served as a public defender in Fulton County for several years.
In early January, Ms. Merchant filed court documents accusing Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis of entering into a “secret” relationship with Nathan J. Wade, the special prosecutor she hired in 2021 to investigate the case against Mr to help . Trump and his allies.
Ms. Merchant has argued that the relationship between Mr. Wade and Ms. Willis should disqualify her and Ms. Willis’s entire office from prosecuting the case, citing a conflict of interest. She alleged that Ms. Willis benefited financially from the prosecution and accused her of vacationing with Mr. Wade using the money he earned working for her.
Ms. Willis admitted to a relationship with Mr. Wade in February but argued that was not a reason to exclude her or her office from the case. She and Mr. Wade also said they would share the cost of personal travel.
In court papers, Ms Merchant said Mr Wade was not qualified for the role. But in 2016, she praised Mr. Wade’s “solid legal background” on Facebook when she supported him in one of his failed bids to become a Supreme Court justice. In another post, she was seen in a photo wearing a Wade campaign t-shirt.
Asked about the vacancies, Ms. Merchant recently said that Mr. Wade was “the most qualified candidate in this race.”
Before Thursday’s hearing, Ms. Merchant sent subpoenas asking Mr. Wade, Ms. Willis and several witnesses to testify about the relationship between prosecutors. It’s unclear whether the judge will allow her to take the stand.
Richard Fausset and Danny Hakim contributed reporting.
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2024-02-16 05:39:34
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