(The Epoch Times)—Retired Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz said Tuesday that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be on trial for some of the “worst crimes” that he’s seen prosecutors commit and called for the appointment of an independent prosecutor to lead a criminal investigation into her actions.
“She ought to be on trial for perjury, conspiracy to commit perjury, witness tampering,” Mr. Dershowitz told Newsmax in an April 2 interview. “The evidence is overwhelming that she committed perjury, including technical scientific evidence and several witnesses.”
Mr. Dershowitz’s remarks add to those made by a number of analysts, who have said that Ms. Willis perjured herself during statements she made in court last month when she claimed her relationship with former Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade didn’t begin until after his appointment to the case against former President Donald Trump.
There have also been allegations that Ms. Willis tampered with a witness by discouraging testimony.
President Trump and over a dozen other co-defendants have been charged for allegedly seeking to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election in Fulton County. The former president has pleaded not guilty, calling the case an underhanded attempt to thwart his 2024 comeback bid.
In January, a co-defendant of President Trump accused Ms. Willis and Mr. Wade of being in a secret relationship in which they both allegedly profited.
The pair denied any financial benefit from the relationship, while insisting they didn’t begin dating until after Mr. Wade became special prosecutor and that they broke up in the summer of 2023. While they both said that Ms. Willis either paid for things herself or used cash to reimburse him for travel expenses, they did not provide any records or receipts to back up the repayment claim.
Mr. Dershowitz previously pointed to the lack of records of repayment as a possible indication that they were lying.
“When you admit that you paid for all these trips on your credit cards, then the burden of proof shifts to the other side to demonstrate that there was payback in cash,” he said in mid-February.
“The fact that there are no records and the payments all have records but the repayments have no records gives rise to a plausible interpretation that that’s not true,” he added.
More Evidence
There’s also witness testimony pointing to possible perjury on the part of Ms. Willis.
Robin Yeartie, a former friend and co-worker of Ms. Willis, testified on Feb. 15 that she saw the two hugging and kissing long before Mr. Wade was hired in November 2021.
While Mr. Dershowitz didn’t specify what technical scientific evidence of perjury he had in mind, cell phone location data brought up in court points in that direction.
Defense attorneys submitted an affidavit from investigator Charles Mittelstadt that analyzed Mr. Wade’s cellphone data showing that he had texted and called Ms. Willis thousands of times months before he was hired in November 2021. The data also allegedly showed that he visited the neighborhood where Ms. Willis had lived numerous times in the same time period.
In regard to Mr. Dershowitz’s allegation of witness tampering, it’s likely this was in reference to a motion filed by Trump co-defendant David Shafer earlier in March. In the filing, Mr. Shafer’s attorney cited testimony from Cindi Lee Yeager, a prosecutor in nearby Cobb County, who said she had overheard Ms. Willis tell witness Terrence Bradley, Mr. Wade’s former divorce lawyer and law partner, that, “They are coming after us. You don’t need to talk to them about anything about us.”
Still, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee ruled there wasn’t enough evidence to back claims that Ms. Willis benefitted financially from Mr. Wade’s appointment, although he did describe their relationship as a “tremendous lapse in judgment.”
The judge then ordered that either Ms. Willis or Mr. Wade needed to stop working on the case, with Mr. Wade later resigning.
‘Open and Shut Case of Perjury’
President Trump and several codefendants appealed Judge McAfee’s decision not to disqualify Ms. Willis, arguing in a court filing that there was “damning evidence” of a “significant appearance of impropriety” that the judge’s decision failed to rectify.
In his Tuesday interview on Newsmax, Mr. Dershowitz lent credence to this view, arguing that not only should Ms. Willis be disqualified but she should also face a criminal investigation.
“Essentially she got kickbacks for appointing this highly unqualified person to head the prosecution,” Mr. Dershowitz told the outlet.
“I sure hope the appellate court takes the case and throws her out of the case and recommends that there be a criminal investigation,” he continued, adding, “we have to have an independent prosecutor of some kind looking into what is an open and shut case of perjury.”
The Fulton County DA’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the legal scholar’s remarks.
However, Ms. Willis said in a recent CNN interview that she is “not embarrassed by anything” she’s done and stressed she did not do “anything that’s illegal.”
Ashleigh Merchant, an attorney for one of President Trump’s co-defendants, recently suggested that there is more evidence and new leads to be revealed during the appeals process.
Ms. Willis told CNN that her office has continued to work on the case throughout the disqualification hearings, calling the various allegations against her a delay tactic.
“While that was going on, we were writing responsive briefs, we were still doing the case in a way that it needed to be done. I don’t feel like we’ve been slowed down at all. I do think there are efforts to slow down this train, but the train is coming,” she told the outlet.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
Coffee the Christian way: Promised Grounds