‘The Optics Here Are Not Good’: Coates on the ‘Appearance of Impropriety’ in the Willis-Wade Case

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
BLITZER: “Now Laura Coates, this was really a remarkable day in Georgia. What‘s your big takeaway from what we saw and heard?”
COATES: “Well, these people who are trying to disqualify Fani Willis want you to know that they think that ethical conduct rises the level of disqualification, but they have to actually prove it in the actual case in chief, they have to show that there was a conflict of interest. In this case a financial benefit that undermines the ability to get a fair trial for these defendants. The judge was concerned more about whether they had met that burden as he should be, and that question was up in the air, they tried to talk about playing the race card, the religion card by her now famous church speech, where she talked about why they were targeting and singling out Nathan Wade, the black prosecutor on the case. But he‘s also a moment in terms of the judge trying to figure out what the parameters ought to be. It isn‘t extreme extreme motion to try to disqualify an elected official. Remember that he‘s elected from a case and our entire office goes longer. Does this show just trying to very cautious, but I was concerned at one moment in terms of him showing his hand. He‘s concerned about the appearance of impropriety as well. The optics here are not good.”