The “evidentiary” hearing about the disqualification of Fani Wllis is an unnecessary racially loaded show trial as TPM and The Washington Post wrote this morning. As TPM’s David Kurtz noted:
If Black people know what’s going on here and racists know what’s going on here, then why is everyone else content to leave their heads in the sand?
The point Kurtz and the Post’s Robin Givhan make is that the hearing features almost all white man sneering at Willis essentially for being a DA while being black, as evidenced by the derogatory language about her using cash. Here’s Givhan’s take on this
Willis lectured the gathered attorneys on the philosophy behind keeping cash on hand. Her father taught her that cash was king and a woman should always be financially self-reliant. And so, yes, she had a stash of cash accumulated over time and she used it to reimburse Wade. She dipped into it before a trip so she could pay taxi drivers or barter with vendors. Her description of her father’s advice was a compressed version of a complicated history and modern-day habit. She didn’t go into the discomfort that some Black people have with financial institutions or the ways in which banks have made it more difficult for Black people to do business with them. She didn’t mention that more older people believe in keeping ready cash and that a significant percentage of Black and Hispanic Americans use cash as their predominant payment method. She didn’t have to. She simply talked about what her father had told her to do as a matter of independence and power. “I don’t need any man to foot my bills,” Willis said.
Kurtz is optimistic that Willis will not be disqualified because she’s the sitting DA and this would create a terrible precedent. Also, I want to point out, Judge Scott McAfee has to run for re-election to keep his seat and pissing off a popular DA and her constituents doesn’t seem wise for getting re-elected. However, I am less optimistic than Kurtz. McAfee was the vice president of the federalist society at his law school (Univ of Georgia) and the fact that he organized a hearing on this topic in the first place (when he knew it would be broadcast and allow the defense to villify Willis) is damning. There was no need to do this in public (he could have simply gathered the needed evidence in Chambers). He even allowed the defense to ask Willis if she met with Joe Biden (she had not).
I know some commentators on MSBNC are opining that she will need to step down, because she’s “damaged.” This is just wrong and problematic to allow this race driven hit job to get what Trump wants (more delay). The case to disqualify Willis — because she hired many lawyers (including Wade) for multiple cases at below market rates, because Wade lost money (by taking work that paid less) and because Willis says she paid him back — is weak to non existent (even if you believe Robin Yeartie).
I personally think Fani Willis, if she survives this, will be a phoenix rising from the ashes and Trump and the Defense (and this lame judge) will regret doing what they have done. I hope Kurtz is right.