Republicans are turning up the pressure on Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis following an accusation that she has engaged in an improper relationship with the special prosecutor leading the election subversion case against former President Donald Trump and some of his allies.

Lawyers for one of Trump’s codefendants in the case, Mike Roman, allege Willis appointed Nathan Wade to head the case while romantically involved with him and paying him more than $650,000 in fees. 

Willis has not responded publicly to the relationship accusations. However, in a speech at a church earlier this month, she accused her critics of attacking her and Wade because they are Black, although she did not mention Wade by name. She also defended his qualifications for the role.

Last week, credit card statements were released that showed Wade paid for flights for Willis to San Francisco and Aruba during the Trump investigation, The Washington Post reported. 

On Thursday, Trump’s lawyers filed a motion arguing that Willis, Wade and their offices should be removed from the case, claiming the DA “inappropriately injected race into the case and stoked racial animus.”

“These assertions by the DA engender a great likelihood of substantial prejudice towards the defendants in the eyes of the public in general, and prospective jurors in Fulton County in particular,” Trump attorneys Steve Sadow and Jennifer Little wrote in the motion. “Moreover, the DA’s self-serving comments came with the added, sought after, benefit of garnering racially based sympathy for her self-inflicted quagmire.”

Roman’s lawyers have, too, sought to have Willis disqualified and the case be dropped.

Even if defense attorneys are unsuccessful in persuading Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to dismiss the charges, the allegations could hurt public confidence in the proceedings. 

On Friday, the Republican-controlled Georgia Senate approved a resolution authorizing an investigation into Willis over the misconduct allegation. 

A newly created panel will be authorized to call witnesses under oath and collect evidence, but it will lack the ability to sanction Willis. It could produce a report detailing its findings and propose legislation in response.

"The multitude of accusations surrounding Ms. Willis, spanning from allegations of prosecutorial misconduct to questions about the use of public funds and accusations of an unprofessional relationship, underscores the urgency for a thorough and impartial examination,” Republican Sen. Greg Dolezal, who produced the resolution, said in a statement earlier this week. “We owe it to the public to ensure transparency, accountability and the preservation of the integrity of our justice system.”

Also Friday, Republican Rep. Charlice Byrd introduced articles of impeachments in the state House against Willis.

“Fani Willis has a laundry list of potential conflicts that make her unworthy and unfit to be the District Attorney in Fulton County,” Byrd said in a statement. “Someone elected to the office is expected to uphold the law and not weaponize their office for political gain. Since Day One when she was elected, Fani Willis has embarrassed the criminal justice system in Fulton County and our state.”

Willis spokesperson Jeff DiSantis did not respond to an email from Spectrum News seeking comment Friday. He declined Thursday to comment to The Associated Press about the Trump court filing.

Two scheduled court hearings could soon shed light on the Willis allegations. Wade could be called to testify Wednesday in his divorce case. And McAfee has scheduled a Feb. 15 evidentiary hearing on the accusations in the Trump election case.

In August, Trump and 18 others were charged with trying to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. 

Trump faces 13 charges, including violating the state’s racketeering law, soliciting a public officer to violate their oath and conspiring to commit several crimes. The former president, who falsely claims widespread fraud cost him the election, has pleaded not guilty.

Roman, who worked on Trump’s 2020 campaign, is accused of participating in a scheme to put forward a slate of fake electors. He is charged with violation of the racketeering act, conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer, conspiracy to commit forgery, conspiracy to commit false statements and writings and conspiracy to commit filing false documents.

Roman has pleaded not guilty.

Four co-defendants — attorneys Kenneth Chesebro, Jenna Ellis and Sidney Powell and bail bondsman Scott Hall — have pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.