Trump Lawyer Donates to Judge in Fani Willis Case

Trump lawyer William Bradley Carver donated to the judge overseeing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ election interference case against former President Donald Trump.
A campaign contribution disclosure report filed by Judge Scott McAfee’s campaign earlier this month shows that Carver donated $250 in May, a week before McAfee won reelection.
Carver, who was one of the 16 fake electors who cast ballots for Trump in Georgia after the 2020 election, was under investigation in Willis’ probe but is not among the 19 defendants in the case. In 2022, a nonprofit group asked the State Bar of Georgia to discipline Carver and two other attorneys for their efforts to help Trump overturn his loss in the Peach State.
Asked about his contribution to McAfee, Carver told Newsweek: “I have known Judge McAfee for a number of years. We are both UGA Law alumni, both active in the Federalist Society and I worked with him when he was Inspector General of Georgia. He’s a very capable and smart judge and deserved reelection. I was proud to support him and very glad he won.”
McAfee won reelection on May 21. Newsweek reached out to McAfee via email for comment.
Earlier this year, McAfee became a household name after deciding that Willis could remain on the case after a disqualification effort was brought by Trump and other defendants. They argued that Willis’ romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade presented a conflict of interest that warranted her removal. McAfee agreed that Willis could stay as prosecutor as long as Wade resigned, which he did hours after the decision.
Nonetheless, the case has been halted since June when a Georgia appeals court agreed to stay the proceedings until an appeal of the disqualification decision by McAfee is decided.
Willis also easily defeated her Democratic opponent in May’s primaries. She will face off against MAGA lawyer Courtney Kramer in November.
Carver is not the only person in Trump’s orbit to have donated to McAfee’s campaign. Wilmer Parker III, the attorney representing co-defendant John Eastman, donated $500 in March and Ray Smith III, one of the co-defendants in the election interference case, contributed $150 to the judge last year.
An attorney with Atlanta-based law firm Hall Booth Smith, Carver is defending the Trump campaign in a lawsuit brought by the late soul singer Issac Hayes’ estate and is representing the Georgia Republican Party in a suit seeking to extend voter registration after Hurricane Helene.