ATLANTA — For the first time since Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee decided to let Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to remain on the 2020 Georgia election interference case involving former President Donald Trump, she spoke publicly about the decision.
Her public comments come as the defense team for Trump and his co-defendants prepare an effort to appeal the judge's ruling that was handed down just over a week ago.
The ruling let Willis stay on the case so long as she removed Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade, who was in a prior relationship with Willis. When Willis was asked how she would respond to a potential appeal, she said simply, "Legally, in a courtroom."
Shortly after McAfee's ruling, the defense lawyers indicated that an immediate appeal would be sought out. Earlier this week, McAfee signed off on the first procedural step to getting their argument directly before Georgia's appellate court.
Willis talked about the hearing and some of the conversations and material that was brought up for the entire nation to hear, some content that was personal to her and Wade's relationship.
"I don't feel like my reputation needs to be reclaimed. Let's say it for the record. I'm not embarrassed by anything I've done," Willis said Saturday. "You know, I guess my greatest crime is I had a relationship with a man but that's not something that I find embarrassing in any way. And I know that I have not done anything that's illegal."
For those questioning why Willis didn't hand over the election interference case to another attorney, she firmly said the charges brought in her county against the former president and others implicated will be handled by her office.
"When a case lands in my jurisdiction, I'm going to prosecute it, and that's the end of that," Willis told 11Alive.
The D.A. stressed that her appearance at an Easter basket giveaway on Saturday at Laster's Chapel United Methodist Church was solely to support the community. She declined to answer who would take the place of former special prosecutor Nathan Wade after he chose to resign in the name of "democracy."
"I'm not here to discuss any particular case," Willis said.