'Poisoned jury pool': Ex-WH lawyer warns Fani Willis scandal is handing Trump 'advantages'

The allegations that Fani Willis is romantically involved with a special prosecutor in her case against Donald Trump is handing the former president "advantages," warned Bush administration ethics lawyer Richard Painter in discussion with Newsweek.

"It's poisoned the jury pool to some extent already," said Painter, who now teaches law at the University of Minnesota. "All the advantages have been to the defendants for this, including former President Trump."

That being said, Painter continued, the allegations, which were first made by the attorney of Trump co-defendant Mike Roman and at least partially corroborated by financial statements revealed in the prosecutor Nathan Wade's divorce proceedings, don't merit Willis stepping down.

"Elected officials usually should remain in the job unless the conduct alleged really rises to the very high degree of misconduct that would justify removal. I don't yet see that here," he said.

He did add that Wade should resign in acknowledgment that he has become a distraction.

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Willis has charged Trump, along with almost two dozen attorneys, GOP strategists, and other figures, with essentially running an organized crime operation to steal the election in Georgia. She has denied any wrongdoing and has defended her decision to hire Wade, a defense attorney and former municipal judge who nonetheless has little experience as a prosecutor.

Generally, a relationship between two prosecutors on a case wouldn't be a conflict of interest because their professional objectives are already aligned. Trump, however, has seized on the reporting to attack Willis as corrupt.