Graham rips ‘nonsensical’ ruling on Fani Willis disqualification: ‘Today is a sad day for Georgia’

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) criticized Georgia Judge Scott McAfee’s “nonsensical” ruling not to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) for once having a romantic relationship with a prosecutor she appointed to the case against former President Trump.

Graham said “politics” is hanging over the election interference case against Trump and his allies, and McAfee’s decision “reinforces” the narrative of a “two-tiered” justice system going after the defendants.

“This ruling is nonsensical,” Graham said in a statement Friday. “When it comes to the prosecution of President Trump and others in Fulton County, Georgia, politics hangs heavy in the air.”

“The charges brought by Fulton County DA Willis and the bizarre decision by the judge not to remove her for an obvious appearance of impropriety reinforces the narrative that there is a two-tiered system of justice for President Trump and those around him,” he said.

McAfee ruled Friday morning that either Willis or the special prosecutor, Nathan Wade, has to depart from working on the election interference case before it can continue. The judge said that Willis and Wade’s past romantic relationship constituted an appearance of conflict of interest in the case. 

Wade stepped down from the case Friday afternoon.

“[T]he established record now highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team — an appearance that must be removed through the State’s selection of one of two options. The Defendants’ motions are therefore granted in part,” McAfee wrote in the ruling released Friday.

The South Carolina senator said he hopes the decision will be looked at by the Peach State’s Attorney General Chris Carr (R) or the state Senate. 

“I am hopeful either the Georgia State Senate or the state’s Attorney General will look into this matter,” Graham said. “Today is a sad day for Georgia.”

Steve Sadow, Trump’s lead defense counsel, also disagreed with the decision, saying the judge’s decision did not go far enough.

“While respecting the Court’s decision, we believe that the Court did not afford appropriate significance to the prosecutorial misconduct of Willis and Wade, including the financial benefits, testifying untruthfully about when their personal relationship began, as well as Willis’ extrajudicial MLK ‘church speech,’ where she played the race card and falsely accused the defendants and their counsel of racism,” Sadow said in a Friday statement.