Judge: Fani Willis can stay on Trump’s Georgia case
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Fani Willis, Fulton County District Attorney and top prosecutor in former President Trump‘s election interference case in Georgia, can officially stay on the case, a judge ruled Friday, if her former romantic partner stepped away. Hours later, he resigned.
BACKGROUND: Willis and Nathan Wade, a special prosecutor on the Trump case, were found to have previously had a romantic relationship, which they claim started after he was hired in 2021. Trump’s legal team pushed back against those assertions, and the former president’s trial was postponed while a judge determined if it was a conflict of interest. After several days of hearings, Georgia Judge Scott McAfee determined either Willis or Wade could move forward on the case, so long as the other resigned, which Wade did Friday afternoon. Willis accepted his resignation. “I am offering my resignation in the interest of democracy, in dedication to the American public, and to move this case forward as quickly as possible,” Wade wrote in his resignation letter.
McAfee said that while the relationship wasn’t an actual conflict of interest, it was a “significant appearance of impropriety.”
REBUTTAL: Trump’s lead defense counsel Steve Sadow said their team respects the ruling, but they “believe that the Court did not afford appropriate significance to the prosecutorial misconduct of Willis and Wade,” and they’ll “use all legal options available” to end Trump’s case.
Although Trump’s case can proceed, there is no trial date set yet. Trump and more than a dozen allies are charged with racketeering and other charges accusing them of conspiring to overturn Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in Georgia. Trump pleaded not guilty. Related coverage: |
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Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Emily Martin, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here. |
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🗳️ No Labels, the centrist group that aims to elect a third-party president, has detailed its process for doing just that.
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📝 The White House in a Friday letter urged Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to “move on” from the impeachment efforts against President Biden.
🏠 The National Association of Realtors, as part of a $418 million settlement with home sellers, will eliminate its 5 percent to 6 percent sales commission rules, which will keep sellers from paying exorbitant fees and could help lower housing costs.
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Supreme Court tosses rulings on public officials’ social media blockings |
The Supreme Court in a unanimous decision Friday determined if public officials are constitutionally allowed to block critical constituents on their personal social media accounts.
After hearing two conflicting cases — one against school board members in Southern California and the other against the city manager of Port Huron, Mich. — the Court had no definitive solution and ultimately decided to send the cases back to lower courts. In the decision, written by by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the court found state officials cannot block constituents on their personal accounts when they have “actual authority to speak on behalf of the State on a particular matter” and “purported to exercise that authority in the relevant posts.”
“For social-media activity to constitute state action, an official must not only have state authority—he must also purport to use it,” Barrett wrote.
In the Michigan case, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the city manager, who deleted Facebook comments and blocked several constituents on social media after they criticized how he handled the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the California case, meanwhile, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said two school board members violated the First Amendment after blocking constituents on their Facebook pages and on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. (The Hill) |
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Biden urges Congress to pass Ukraine aid |
In a joint appearance with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), President Biden pushed lawmakers to pass more aid for Ukraine in its war with Russia. “It sends a clear message that America stands up for freedom and we bow down to no one. To no one in the world,” Biden said. Speaking at the annual Friends of Ireland luncheon ahead of St. Patrick’s Day, Biden expressed admiration for how Ireland has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as well as to the people of Gaza.
Biden said he is “committed to continuing to do our part” and urged Congress “to stand up to Vladimir Putin.”
Supplemental aid, which includes $60 billion for Ukraine, was passed by the Senate in a 67-32 vote in February. But Johnson has yet to take it up in the House.
While Johnson has said he plans to work on Ukraine aid, he has not indicated what a package would look like other than to say it would likely look different from the supplemental passed by the Senate. He also said Congress is more focused on government funding.
“I understand the timetable and I understand the urgency of the funding,” Johnson said at the House GOP retreat in West Virginia this week. (The Hill) |
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Also known as the “idus,” or a month’s halfway mark on the Roman calendar. On March 15, 44 B.C. — a.k.a.: The Ides of March — Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated by his Senate. |
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ALA: Record number of book challenges in 2023 |
Public libraries and schools faced a record number of book challenges in 2023, according to the American Library Association (ALA).
In a report released Thursday, the ALA documented 4,240 unique book titles that were targeted for censorship, which is up nearly two-thirds from 2022’s record of 2,571.
Public libraries were hit the hardest, with a 92-percent increase in targeted titles. School libraries had an 11-percent increase. According to the ALA, groups targeted books in clusters of dozens or hundreds, with almost half (47%) of the titles challenged relating to the LGBTQ community or people of color.
(The Hill) |
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College athletes sue over NCAA transgender policies |
A group comprised of dozens of college swimmers and volleyball players have filed a lawsuit Thursday against the NCAA over its transgender policies.
The athletes allege in the lawsuit that their rights under the Title IX equity law were violated when the NCAA allowed Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, to compete in the Division I national swimming championship in 2022.
The complainants wish to bar transgender athletes from competing on teams that don’t match their biological sex and for any awards won by transgender athletes to be stripped and given to cisgender competitors.
LGBTQ activists argue that excluding trans people from sports is discriminatory and that transgender women have no real advantage over their teammates.
(The Hill) |
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Luck o’ the Irish: How Irish is your state?
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Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day, so that means it’s time to break out the green clothing, have a pint (or two) and keep an eye out for any leprechauns.
Irish or not, the holiday is celebrated around the world, with many of the world’s biggest celebrations happening in the United States.
This map from Nexstar shows the states with the highest populations of Irish or partially Irish people across the country. |
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“Will Netanyahu defeat Biden?” — Alton Frye, the presidential senior fellow emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations. Read here. “Is Beijing bracing to crash into a Western wall?” — Andy Langenkamp, senior political analyst at ECR Research and ICC Consultants. Read here. |
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122 days until the Republican National Convention.
157 days until the Democratic National Convention. 234 days until the 2024 general election. |
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☘️ St. Patrick’s Day is Sunday. |
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