Donald Trump Co-Defendant's Lawyer Donated to Judge in Fani Willis Case

Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee attends a court hearing on January 19, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. McAfee received a donation from a lawyer representing one of former President Donald Trump’s co-defendants in the Georgia election interference trial.

An attorney representing John Eastman, one of former President Donald Trump’s co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case, donated to Judge Scott McAfee, who is overseeing the trial.

McAfee is seeking reelection to his nonpartisan position as Fulton Superior Court judge on May 21 as he oversees one of the most high-profile trials in the country.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis brought charges against Trump and 18 defendants for allegedly trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia, a swing state that narrowly backed President Joe Biden. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has accused Willis of targeting him for political purposes.

He has drawn two challengers, former Fulton County Solicitor General Tiffani Johnson and civil rights attorney Robert H. Patillo. Willis herself will also be on the ballot in the Democratic district attorney primary, facing off against challenger Christian Wise Smith.

Wilmer Parker III, who is representing Eastman, donated $500 to McAfee’s reelection campaign, according to a campaign financial disclosure form from his campaign filed this week.

The filing shows that a large number of Georgia-based lawyers have donated to McAfee’s reelection campaign, including two lawyers who work for Willis’ office named Robert Appell and George Jenkins.

Parker told Newsweek that his donation has “nothing to do” with the election interference case but that he donated to McAfee because he believes he is “far more capable than any other individuals running for that office.”

“To be very, very blunt, I believe out of the candidates for the office, the superior court judge, he is highly qualified and extraordinarily capable. I exercised my First Amendment right contributing to the best candidate,” he said.

Parker said support among lawyers for McAfee is “not a matter of politics” but instead a “matter of making good legal decisions based on the law.”

“You come across capable men and women who are good for the judicial system more often than not. In the case of the state of Georgia, where they are elected, you do what you can to make sure they remain in office,” he said.

While McAfee’s race is nonpartisan, Parker previously discussed his political donations in an interview with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in October 2023. The newspaper reported that he has donated to several Democratic candidates, including Senator Jon Ossoff, former Governor Roy Barnes and former President Barack Obama.

Parker has supported members of both political parties and is not required to share the same political beliefs as his client.

“It depends on what decade you are asking me about,” he said. “I supported, in the Reagan era, a number of Republicans. I was in the Justice Department, and I knew where my bread was buttered.”

McAfee’s campaign previously touted his bipartisan support, saying his fundraising from individuals across the political spectrum “reflects the appreciation for someone who is fair and focused on doing the right thing.”

“This campaign is an opportunity to restore trust in our system of governance. This era of extreme partisanship has diluted faith, on both sides, that fairness is possible,” his campaign manager, Fredrick Hicks, previously told Newsweek.

Eastman is facing several charges, including conspiracy to commit forgery, conspiracy to commit false statements and writings, and violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, for his alleged involvement in orchestrating the so-called fake elector plot, which would have seen Georgia send a slate of pro-Trump electors to the Electoral College.

In a statement after his arrest last August, Eastman denied all allegations against him in the indictment he believes “should never have been brought.” He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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