Fulton County DA Fani Willis Faces Accusations Ahead Of Appearance At Big Bethel AME’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Service

Willis' office was hit with allegations on Jan. 8 that claim prosecutor Nathan Wade used case funds to take vacations with the district attorney.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office was hit with allegations ahead of her appearance on Jan. 14 at the historic Black church’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day service.

Willis, who was thrust into the national spotlight for investigating former President Donald Trump for election interference charges, will address the congregation of Atlanta’s Big Bethel AME Church during its 10 a.m. service to honor Dr. King’s legacy, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Big Bethel AME, established in 1847, is the oldest Black church in Atlanta, the Atlanta History Center notes. The church was founded by enslaved African Americans after they were denied worship with white parishioners at Union Church. The congregation integrated into the African Methodist Episcopal denomination after the Civil War and made its move to 220 Auburn Avenue. According to Big Bethel’s website, Rev. John Foster, Ph. D., is the current Senior Pastor. Beyond Sunday services, the church has hosted the first public school for Black students, shared space with Morris Brown College and welcomed the space for civil rights assemblies.

As the district attorney, who has led the prosecution of Trump and his allies for allegedly seeking to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia, prepares for Sunday’s MLK service, her office also faces accusations of financial and romantic misconduct tied to the case.

A Jan. 8 court filing on behalf of defendant and former Trump campaign official Michael Roman claims special prosecutor Nathan Wade improperly used case funds to pay for vacations with Willis, with whom he allegedly has a relationship. Records show Wade has been paid over $650,000 in fees since January 2022, authorized by Willis.

The motion seeks dismissal of charges against Roman and the disqualification of Willis, Wade and the entire DA’s office from moving forward with any persecutions in the Trump investigation. Willis’s office stated they will address the allegations “through appropriate court filings.”