Lead Prosecutor Steps Down, Enabling Fani Willis to Continue Election Case Against Trump

Good evening and welcome to the Capitol Report on NTD Television. I'm Jack Bradley in for Steve Lance. Here's what's coming up. Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade is resigning from the Georgia-Rico case. Find out what he's saying about the judge's ruling. Despite Republican backlash, President Biden praising Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's call for new elections in Israel. What that means for U.S.-Israeli relations and the latest in the Biden impeachment probe. In Georgia, Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade has resigned. This is following Judge Scott McAfee's ruling on District Attorney Fannie Willis and their prosecution of former President Trump. Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade submitted a letter of resignation to Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis Friday afternoon. He wrote, Willis accepted his resignation and applauded him for his work. She wrote, I will always remember and will remind everyone that you were brave enough to step forward and take on the investigation and prosecution. Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee ruled on Friday that either District Attorney Fannie Willis or Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade must step aside from the Georgia-Rico case. This means Willis can continue to prosecute former President Trump and his co-defendants as long as she removes Wade from the team. The ruling came following two months of speculations and court hearings into Willis' alleged affair with Wade. The judge ruled that there was not enough evidence to prove Willis' relationship with Wade amounted to a conflict of interest. But he said the relationship created, McAfee also criticized how Willis testified in court. He wrote, This finding is by no means an indication that the court condones this tremendous lapse in judgment or the unprofessional manner of the District Attorney's testimony during the evidentiary hearing. Much of the court hearings centered around the timeline of Willis and Wade's relationship and their motivation for the prosecution. The judge ruled that there isn't enough evidence that Willis had a personal stake in the prosecution. And he said he was unable to determine whether Willis and Wade began dating before or after he was hired as Special Prosecutor. He said there were reasonable questions about whether Willis and Wade testified truthfully about the timing of their relationship. An attorney for Trump said his team respects the court's decision but believes the judge didn't go far enough. Defense Attorney Steve Sadlow said, Does the judge's ruling in the case against Fannie Willis help Trump's election interference case? Here to break that down, we have two legal experts on the line. Joining me now is Nima Rahmani, the president and co-founder of West Coast Trial Lawyers, and Will Trackman, the general counsel for Mountain State's Legal Foundation. Thank you both for joining me. And Fulton County DA Fannie Willis will not be removed from Trump's Georgia election interference case so long as she removes her former boyfriend Nathan Wade as lead prosecutor. Now Will, what's your reaction to this ruling here and how do you see it impacting Trump's case? Well I'm a little surprised based on the fact that the judge made a number of findings regarding the impropriety, the appearance of impropriety involving a prosecutor and her boyfriend or lover being also involved in the case. And striking the other person in the case doesn't truly resolve the appearance of impropriety. She's still engaged in this conduct as a prosecutor. And we still need to figure out whether she's capable of going forward without that tape behind her. Nima, do you have the same reaction? Well I'm not surprised the judge split the baby, but when it comes to disqualification in a financial conflict of interest, it's a pretty significant hurdle because we're not just talking about Fannie Willis and Nathan Wade. If there is a conflict of interest, the whole Fulton County District Attorney's Office is disqualified. So there's no question here that Willis' conduct is problematic. You know, this is something Judge McAfee said. You shouldn't be hiring your boyfriend, period. Even if the relationship started after he was brought on board. And this is something that's cast a cloud over the proceedings. It's an unnecessary distraction. So whether it's Willis, Wade, or both stepping down, that's something that should happen. There's still a lot of pressure on Fannie Willis here. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has just signed a law this week allowing a state commission to discipline and remove prosecutors for misconduct. Many are saying that this could be applied to Willis. Willis is also facing a threat of contempt of Congress if she doesn't comply with a congressional subpoena. Nemo, what do you see the future of this case against Fannie Willis? I think the future looks pretty grim for Fannie Willis. She's a public servant. She should be held to a higher standard. There's things that lawyers can do, criminal defense attorneys, that prosecutors cannot do. You can't come out and make public statements that may jeopardize the trial. You can't make your personal life an issue in a criminal case. This is going to be the most politicized trial in American history if and when it happens. She needs to be a lot more careful, and this is something the judge talked about, making bad decisions that are going to affect the case. Now, does any of this have to do with the merits of the case, whether it's election fraud or anything like that? No, but it's an unnecessary distraction. It's a potential appellate issue. And now we're dealing with this, all these collateral issues, instead of the actual trial here. Will, what do you think the future holds for Fannie Willis? Well, at this point, I don't think that we're even close to finalizing the trial before the election. And so I can see her appealing, saying it's sunk cost now. The case is not going to be resolved before November, so why not appeal? Why not try? The findings that the judge made said that they didn't prove it, they didn't prove the financial propriety, so maybe that's enough for her to latch onto and try to vindicate herself on appeal. On the other hand, maybe she'll just fire Nathan Wade and go forward and say enough distractions, and I'll try to just press forward with the case I have, regardless of when it ultimately gets resolved. So I agree with Nemo. She is in a world of uncertainty right now without very many good options. Prosecutors in Trump's hush money case say they're open to delaying the case by a month to give Trump's lawyers time to review evidence. Will, how do you see this playing out? Well, it's another win for President Trump. We have only seven or eight months before the election, and so any time you kill one of those months with nothing but delay, you get closer to that November deadline. And I agree, certainly there's not going to be any federal issues if Trump is reelected, and these state prosecutions would be quite a distraction. You know, you can imagine a sitting president having to stand trial in a state court. Wouldn't go well for the rest of the country that's hoping that he can manage our foreign policy. So I agree there's inherent tension between all these prosecutions going forward if President Trump is reelected. If not, then I think they might all go forward just in 2025 and beyond. Nima, thoughts on the hush money case? Yeah, that's the one that's most likely to go to trial because obviously we had a trial date, unlike the other cases. D.C. was, there was a trial date that was vacated. But the other three are potentially subject to the appeal that's pending before the Supreme Court related to presidential immunity. If President Trump is successful there, I don't think he will be, then that may resolve the D.C. case, the South Florida case, and the Fulton County case. The hush money case, of course, predates Trump becoming president. It's the least serious of the cases, but the one that was most likely to go forward. Now you're having an issue where there's this delayed discovery. And if you're the prosecution here, you've got to be complying with your discovery obligations in a timely manner. They knew that there was a federal investigation into Michael Cohen and others. They got tens of thousands of pages of documents reportedly, and they disclosed them late, which is pushing everything back. Like Will and I have been saying, delay is the friend of the former president. That is his best defense in all of these cases. So any delay just nears to his benefit. Nima Rahmani, Will Trachman, thank you very much for your time here. Thanks so much. Thanks for having us. President Biden defending Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer after he sharply criticized the leadership of Israel. Now it comes after mounting Republican backlash over Schumer's comments here. Joining us now live is NTD's White House correspondent Iris Tao. Iris, good evening to you. And now tell us more about why the president's latest reactions on this today. Good evening to you, Jack. So President Biden today praised Leader Schumer after Schumer made a controversial speech on Thursday saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, quote, lost his way and that Israel should hold new elections to replace him. Here's what President Biden was saying when meeting with the Irish Prime Minister at the Oval Office today. Watch. I'm not going to elaborate on his speech. He made a good speech and I think he expressed a serious concern shared not only by him but by many Americans. The Israeli government has also fired back against Schumer's comments accusing Schumer of trying to undermine a democratically elected government. And House Republicans have called Schumer's comments ridiculous, inappropriate and wrong. Meanwhile, the White House today was being cautious in explaining Biden's comments saying that President Biden was only referring to the passion in Schumer's speech, adding that it's up to the Israeli people to decide their leadership. Watch. Prime Minister Netanyahu can no longer remain in power. That's going to be up to the Israeli people to decide. For our part, we're going to keep supporting Israel in their fight against Hamas. We're going to keep urging them to reduce civilian casualties and we're going to keep working to get a temporary ceasefire. Meanwhile, last weekend in an interview with MSNBC, President Biden said that while he thinks Netanyahu has a right to defend Israel from Hamas, he also thinks that Netanyahu is, quote, hurting Israel more than helping. And this all comes as President Biden is facing increasing pressure from some members of his party to call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. And as he's losing support, risking losing support in the November election as some voters in the Democratic primaries have been voting uncommitted in protest of Biden's support for Israel. Jack. Yes, it's very interesting here, Iris. And it remains to be seen how this will impact U.S.-Israeli tensions and the relations. Now, Iris, the White House today called on Republicans to end their impeachment inquiry into Biden. Tell us more about the latest back and forth here. Sure, Jack. So despite President Biden and Speaker Johnson today being all smiles at a St. Patrick's Day event at the U.S. Capitol, the White House this morning sent a letter to Speaker Johnson saying that he's trying to hurt the president politically and urging him to end the impeachment inquiry by House Republicans into President Biden. The White House saying that their long investigation has failed to turn up any evidence of wrongdoing. But Speaker Johnson responded today saying that they have revealed some alarming information, adding that it's not up to the White House to decide how impeachment inquiries gets resolved. Back to you, Jack. Iris, thank you. House Republicans conclude their annual issues conference in West Virginia. Now they're facing a crucial week for government funding. And a new report says customs and border protection under the Biden administration has reduced the vetting process for illegal immigrants from China. We talk with an investigative reporter. That and more when we return. The Chinese Communist Party is exposing its hand. The fingerprints can be found all over. And I recently caught wind of these CCP operations on full display in South Korea. The top 13 theaters all rejected Shen Yun almost simultaneously. What makes the case in South Korea so different? And how does the CCP extend its influence into other countries? Now for the Chinese Communist Party, this is warfare. War being waged here isn't being done through tanks and bombs, but instead through the invisible forces of culture and ideology. They also revealed a hidden war. Because of the war and the conflict, we have to leave our homes and all our belongings. We don't even have food. That's why we need your help. Millions of children are fighting to survive due to inequality, conflict, poverty and the climate crisis. Save the Children is working alongside communities to provide a better life for children. And they're doing it together. 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I'm Jack Bradley in for Steve Lance. The annual House Republican Issues Conference concluded today at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia. GOP leaders expressed hope that the conference fostered enough unity ahead of a budget battle and a general election. NTD correspondent Luis Martinez summarizes the highlights. House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik began the three-day retreat addressing the urgent need for consensus among Republican lawmakers. This is an opportunity for House Republican members to continue our planning and work for our legislative agenda for the House Republican majority, especially as we head into a historic November election. Let's remember that since becoming Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson has lost the support of his conference on at least five votes. The Speaker made it clear that he was aware of how fractious his conference is and asked his colleagues to measure their policy demands. This isn't a time, a time of divided government, a time of literally the slimmest margin in U.S. history. It's not the time for long Hail Mary passes on every play, but it's three yards in a cloud of dust. House Republicans are preparing to present a second batch of six appropriation bills in order to get government funded through fiscal year 2024. Congresswoman Lisa McLean, the House Republican conference secretary, believes that they can get these past the House floor before the March 22nd deadline and thus avoid a partial government shutdown. I think it's going to be ugly. I think it's going to be messy. And I think there are going to be a lot of fights in the trenches. It won't be perfect. We won't get as many wins as I would like to get and probably the rest of our conference would like to get. But we will get some wins. Approximately half of the House Republican conference did not attend a three day retreat. Freedom Caucus members, for example, expressed their opposition to the minibus appropriation process and insisted on 12 separate bills to be presented on the House floor. House GOP leadership insisted on their football analogies and defended their strategy. People will say, I know, but you only split it up into two. You're right, but that's progress, right? Every time you get the ball on the football field, you don't score a touchdown, but your goal is to get a first down. Congress must approve the second batch of six appropriation bills before next Friday in order to avoid a partial government shutdown. Reporting from White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Luis Eduardo Martinez, NTD News. We've been following this report from the Chicago O'Hare Airport where Shenyun artists returning to the U.S. were targeted by a customs officer with CCP propaganda. Congressman Scott Perry now demanding an official investigation into the incident. NTD has exclusively obtained his letter to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In the letter, Perry said he's gravely concerned about discrimination against U.S. citizens based on religious beliefs. He added, quote, if the allegations are founded, termination of said agent must occur promptly. Originally founded in New York, Shenyun's mission is to offer a glimpse of China before communism. Many of the company's performers practice Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party. The customs officer involved reportedly tried to deny Shenyun's entry, claiming the dancers are, quote, political and illegal. That's despite all of them being U.S. citizens or possessing valid visas. Perry said an investigation is critical and urgent, given the officer involved had sympathies towards the Chinese Communist Party. A new report says the Biden administration's Customs and Border Protection is fast-tracking illegal immigrants from China into the U.S. That's according to Philip Linzycki, an investigative reporter with the Daily Caller News Foundation. He's also a China watcher and former professor of Mandarin and East Asian civilizations. I spoke with him earlier about the implications of his investigation. Philip Linzycki, thank you very much for joining us today. Hey, thanks for having me. Now, in your investigation here, you found that the vetting process for letting Chinese illegal immigrants into the country has been relaxed. What changed? We recently obtained a leaked email from Customs and Border Protection that was from April 2023. And this email showed that Border Patrol agents were no longer required to ask as many questions to Chinese illegal immigrants that they encountered. Specifically, they reduced the number of questions from approximately 40 down to just five. Previously, the questions concerned everything ranging from individuals' personal biography back in China to questions concerning their prior arrest record and even their history handling weapons. But these questions that I just mentioned were eliminated, and only five remained of the 40. These questions were specifically addressing the individual's employment, their universities they may or may not have attended, their military service, their political history, and also their place of birth. The main issue here is human trafficking and their operatives. Are they coaching these Chinese illegal immigrants to answer those questions and follow these guidelines? That is exactly what we were told. And my investigating sense has led me to believe that that is likely the case. And when we think about the fact that the questions have been reduced to just five now, that doesn't really require too much thinking on the part of the Chinese illegal immigrant to pass that test. More or less, given the questions that are on offer, they must just say, no, I'm not a part of a political party. No, I'm not a member or a former member of the Chinese military. No, I never went to university, et cetera, and so on. And they will have passed that vetting process. What are your concerns here during an election year of the surge of illegal immigrants in the U.S.? The U.S. census system that we have in place counts both citizens and non-citizens alike. And so there is what you might say some type of benefit to be gained for certain politicians that their district might have received large numbers of illegal immigrants generally. And so they'll potentially pick up additional congressional seats at some time in the future. It's unclear when that might occur. But what we're told currently, and I believe there's a report just out in the last this week, was that Los Angeles and New York are the largest beneficiaries, if you will, of illegal immigration in the last year or so. How long does it take for them to get through now versus under the Trump administration? It's been drastically reduced. So my understanding is that it can be it's under an hour to process them now, and it can be, you know, maybe 30 minutes or so. Philip Linzycki, thank you very much for your time here. Thank you very much for having me. For round-the-clock original news coverage, visit us at NTD.com or download our NTD app. And that's all we have for you tonight on The Capitol Report. And thank you for watching. From the nation's capital, I'm Jack Bradley. Have a nice weekend. Thank you.